


i won't hurt you

by yourinternetkid



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: 5SOS ot4, Alternate Universe, Angst, Bottom Ashton, Bottom Luke, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cashton, Faerie Louis, Faeries - Freeform, Flower Power, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Harry Is a Witch, Harry Styles - Freeform, IDK it's complicated, Implied Sexual Content, Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Magic Ashton, Magic Calum, Minor Character Death, Siren! Luke, Smut, Some blood and gore, Top Luke, Transformation, Witch Harry, Witches, boys making out, duke - Freeform, kind of magic michael, lol, louis is a faerie, luke is a siren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-07-28 01:47:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16231706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourinternetkid/pseuds/yourinternetkid
Summary: in which ashton is a normal guy, in a normal bar, doing normal drunk things,luke is siren,michael and calum are oblivious,and they have a crazy run in with a witch and a faerie that changes everything.





	1. we'd fall from grace

**Author's Note:**

> happy october. have some magical stuff. also beware, there's some blood and gore here, so avert your eyes if that's not for you.  
> (p.s. this is hella unedited)

Ashton was just a normal guy in a normal bar doing normal drunk things.

Michael had gotten a huge promotion at work the week prior. The boys would’ve celebrated earlier, but ever since graduation it’d been hard to find a night when all of them were free. It wasn’t until that Thursday that they’d finally managed. Luke had just finished a show and was finally allowed to eat real people food again (although he was still off beer- the boy had been taking shots all night instead. “Gets you drunk quick without the calories,” he’d said, eyeing Calum’s beer with a sad glint in his eye.) Calum’s coach had given the team the next morning off from practice so that he felt less guilty drinking hangover levels of alcohol, and Ashton had been proclaimed designated driver, so having to go in to the office the next morning wouldn't be so unbearable anyway. He was guzzling down a bottle of water and keeping an eye on his boys while they drank and danced and snuck off when he they thought he wasn’t looking to smoke weed. Not that Ashton really cared, he just wanted to make sure that everybody was safe and happy. 

Michael and Luke were grinding on the dance floor while Calum was bouncing up and down next to Ashton’s side, watching as the two made a spectacle of themselves. 

“Think Luke knows he’s giving us all boners?”

“What?” Ashton looked over at Calum who’d started giggling as soon as he said it.

“He’s hot, what can I say?”

“Slow your roll, Cal. Have some water.”

“No thanks,” Calum smiled and wrapped an arm around Ashton’s neck dragged him in close. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Which is why I think you should drink this water.”

“Not yet. I’ve got to dance more first,” Calum said and bounced away from Ashton, joining Luke and Michael in some kind of three way group grind. Ashton had to admit, it was kind of hot. His cheeks were pink as he turned away, finishing the last of his water and moving to leave the empty container on the bar. The woman on the other side of the bar smiled at him as he approached.

“Refill?”

Ashton looked down at his watch and sighed, “I suppose so. Think I’ll be a here a couple more hours.”

“DD?”

“Yep.”

“I like what you’re doing, man, but I know. It sucks.”

“Yep. It really does.” 

The woman slid Ashton’s refilled water across the bar. “Here. For your good service- on the house.”

“I thought water was free anyway.”

The woman grinned and Ashton laughed. “Right,” he said. “I get it.”

“Drink up,” she pat the counter in front of her and slid away, moving to help the next customer. Ashton watched her as she moved down the bar. She was nice and kind of pretty. Ashton wouldn’t mind having her number, or taking her out sometime if the opportunity presented itself. 

The song playing over the dance floor changed and Ashton swore he could hear Calum tell above the heavy beat. It was the boy’s favorite song, and Ashton couldn’t help but shake his head as he took another sip of water.

“‘Scuse me.” A man squeezed into the space next to Ashton. He was so close, Ashton could smell his deodorant as he raised his arm to flag the bartender down. Ashton had just managed to catch her eye and send her a smile when the man spoke up again.

“Watcha drinking?” he asked, and Ashton had to crane his neck backwards as he turned to look at him, already feeling too close to the stranger. 

“Just water. Gotta stay hydrated.”

“‘Course,” the man smiled. “It’s important. Don’t suppose I could get you anything stronger?”

“No thanks, man,” Ashton said. “I gotta drive later, so.”

“Bummer,” the man said and reached a hand out towards Ashton. “I’m Colin, by the way.”

“Ashton.”

“You come here often?”

“Not really,” Ashton answered. “You?”

“First time,” the man said just as the bartender finally made her way back to them. Ashton looked up to smile at her again, but was taken aback to see the acute curl of her lip and fierce glint in her eye as she eye Colin. 

“What can I get you?”

“Whiskey- on the rocks.”

The bartender nodded and reached under the counter, not sparing Ashton a glance as she slammed a glass down on the bar so hard, Ashton jumped, afraid it would break.

“Easy there, sweetie,” Colin said, and the woman rolled her eyes. Ashton, confused and now wishing he had Calum next to him, slid away from the bar. 

“Where are you off to?” Colin asked him, and the bartender looked at Ashton with wide eyes. Ashton’s thoughts were stumbling over each other in his head as he tried to respond. 

“Just- I’m gonna dance.”

Colin grinned, “Mind if I join?”

“Maybe later,” Ashton said, and  _ fuck. _ “I should find my friends. It’s been a while.”  _ Idiot.  _ Why hadn’t he just started with that?

“Aright, man. See you out there,” Colin said and the look on the bartender’s face was enough to convince Ashton to run into the crowd of drunk dancers and never look back. 

“Ashton!” his friends shouted when he finally managed to find them. “C’mere,” Luke grabbed at his shirt and pulled him towards their little group by the collar, shoving his face in his neck. “You smell nice.”

Ashton’s heart beat began to slow back to a normal pace as the familiarity of Luke’s drunk compliments reassured him. “Thanks, Lukey. You too.” He could feel Luke’s lips against his pulse point as the boy started to suck bruises into the skin there. Ashton rolled his eyes while Calum cat called and Michael whistled obnoxiously. A bunch of fucking dorks, they all were. Ashton let Luke have his fun for the next few songs, losing himself in the music and in his friends before he spotted Colin over the curve of Luke’s shoulder. His eyes were shadowed as the rest of his face was illuminated by the flashing lights above the dance floor. Ashton shivered and Luke snickered against him. He could hardly find it in himself to be annoyed as Colin began to snake his way through the crowd, moving closer and closer to where Ashton and his friends were dancing. 

Ashton had always been the dad of the group, ready to protect and care for his friends in sickness and in health. With a feeling of foreboding in his mind and rounded his boys up, sending them towards the bar to refill their drinks as he followed behind, keeping his hands on Luke and Calum’s backs to propel them forward. Michael, probably the least drunk of the three, eyed Ashton warily, but went along with it as Calum slung his arm around his back and congratulated him again on his promotion. 

They’d almost made it out of the crowd and to the bar when the song changed and the crowd began screaming, celebrating as some other top 40 song began to pulsate through the building. Somehow Ashton’s hands slipped from his group of boys and he was pushed back into the crowd, swallowed up by faceless dancers as he just managed to see Michael, Calum, and Luke stumble out of the crowd and towards the bar before a cold hand wrapped around his wrist and Ashton was yanked backwards into another body.

He knew it had to be Colin as an equally cold nose ran along the length of his neck. “You smell good,” his voice was soft and sinister in Ashton’s ear- not like Luke’s had been. Ashton was beginning to wish that they’d never gone out that night, that Calum had football practice the next morning, that Michael had never gotten that promotion in the first place when he felt Colin’s lips against the junction between his neck and shoulders and a death grip around his chest as Colin began walking them backwards through the crowd.

“Get off me, you fucking creep,” Ashton said and struggled against his hold. He could feel Colin’s teeth against his neck as he grinned. 

“Quiet, Ashton.”

Ashton opened his mouth to speak again but found he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried, no sound would come out. His throat strained with the effort, and the more he tried to scream, the more he could feel his vocal chords ache.

“Good boy,” Colin whispered in his ear and continued to drag Ashton backwards. How was no one else noticing this? Ashton began thrashing against his hold, kicking his legs out and trying to get someone’s attention.

“Stay still.”

His legs locked and Ashton was powerless to move as they’d almost reached the other side of the dance floor. The bathrooms were on this side of the club, and Ashton could feel tears in his eyes as he stayed perfectly still and silent against his will.  _ What’s happening to me?  _ He wondered if Colin had put something in his water, or if the lights of the club had somehow hypnotized him.  _ Fuck. _

They were inside the bathrooms. Colin leaned him up against the nearest wall and locked the door, grinning wickedly as he turned to see Ashton with tears streaming down his face and panic in his eyes. 

“Alone at last,” he said as he approached. “I knew the moment I saw you I had to have you. You’re,” Colin took a deep breath, his eyes flashing under the fluorescent lights, “ _ delectable _ . You deserve to be ravished.”

_ Please don’t _ , Ashton tried to say- tried to scream. But it was still no use. He could only watch through tears as Colin’s arms encircled him and the man smiled to reveal large, sharp teeth steadily growing past his normal ones. It must’ve been something in his drink- there was no way this was happening. _ I’m hallucinating. This isn’t real, this isn’t real _ , Ashton thought as Colin brought those terrible teeth down to his neck and scraped them against the delicate skin there. 

“I wish you would’ve corporate,” Colin said, and it seemed as though he struggled to speak past the mouth full of sharp teeth. “I would’ve loved to hear you scream.”

_ Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you _ , was all Ashton could think as Colin’s jaw opened wide like a snake before he slammed Ashton back into the wall behind him and sank his teeth into his neck.

Ashton’s mouth opened on a silent scream as the pain of it made him clench his eyes shut and more tears roll down his cheeks. Unable to move away from the source of the pain, Ashton swore he could feel his heart break from terror as the Colin ripped into his neck.

It was only a few seconds before Colin pulled back to admire his handiwork, blood dripping down his chin and onto the floor between them as smiled so Ashton could see all of his teeth. “You look beautiful like this, darling. So sweet, and all for me. You taste exquisite.”

Ashton wanted to throw up. His eyes widened in terror as Colin ducked his head down for another taste, and he was just trying his best to shrink back away from him when the bathroom door suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall so hard that the tiles cracked and feel to the floor.

“What the fuck?” Colin snarled and Ashton watched his eyes turn black before he turned to face whoever had just interrupted him. Ashton could see out of the corner of his eyes a dark figure and long hair. He closed his eyes, terrified that he would have to watch this person be attacked too.

“You overstepped your rights, Colin.” It was a woman’s voice. He heard footsteps echo off the bathroom floor, and Ashton opened his eyes a fraction. It was the bartender. She was livid, arms crossed around her chest as she slowly walked towards them. “You know the council outlawed this kind of feeding long ago. I hope you know what you’ve done.”

“Fuck off, witchling,” Colin snarled. Ashton could feel his own bood sliding slick and warm down his neck and chest and was beginning to feel light headed. “He’s mine. Let me finish what I started, and then can talk.” His tongue curled around the word “talk” so that it sounded loaded- dangerous. 

“Witchling?” The bartender laughed, but her eyes were empty as she eyed the creature hovering over Ashton. “You wish.”

Suddenly Colin was on the ground at Ashton’s feet, the bartender crouched over him as she held a blade to his throat. It was dark, the color of ink and stood in stark contrast against Colin’s blood spattered skin.

“Don’t-” Colin gasped against the sharp point of the dagger against his neck. “Wait. Don’t kill me.”

The bartender hummed, and then sighed- “no,” before rearing her hand back, the dark surface of the knife glinting as she drove it forward into Colin’s chest. Ashton clenched his eyes shut and took a shuddering breath. He could hear Colin cursing, gasping for breath and struggling on the floor at his feet. As Colin’s struggled began to grow weaker, so did Ashton. His legs, which had felt locked into place, began to buckle and his head fell back against the bathroom wall and he slid to the ground. He could see blood, black as tar, spilling from Colin’s chest as the bartender held the knife there, buried to the hilt. Ashton could feel his throat loosen as he his voice came back to him, a whimper of pain escaping him as he finally gained the ability to reach his hand up and grip his neck, trying to stop the flow of blood there. The bartender looked over towards him, her eyes sad as she took in his pale form.

“Close your eyes, Ash. Trust me.”

Ashton was to weak and too terrified to argue. He let his eyes slip shut as he heard what surely must’ve been the sound of Colin dying as the woman cursed at him in English before muttering something in what sounded like Latin. Ashton kept his eyes shut and tried to focus on not passing out till he felt warm fingers against his own, right where he was doing his best to stop himself from bleeding out. 

“Hey.” His eyes fluttered open to meet the woman’s. “You’ve got a nasty cut there.”

Ashton tried to chuckled, but instead doubled over, coughing blood onto the floor while the bartender cursed.

“Hold on, I’ve got you.”

Soft hands cradled his head and the back of his neck, and suddenly Ashton was lying on the floor, Colin’s body only a few feet away as the bartender’s bloody hands gently maneuvered him so his head was resting on her lap. Ashton’s mind was growing more and more fuzzy, and he was certain it was a hallucination due to blood loss or trauma when the woman suddenly conjured a small box out of thin air, opening it and pulling out rags and bandages and glass bottles of mysterious, multi colored liquids. Ashton shut his eyes and tried to focus on not dying while she mumbled above him, pressing deliciously cool clothes to his wound and uncapping bottles, filling the bathroom with heavy, herbal fragrances that almost managed to cover up the metallic scent of his own blood.

“This might feel a little prickly,” her voice reassured him before she started mumbling in some foreign language again and pouring something onto his neck. Ashton’s nose twitched as the sensation, but it was nothing compared to the terrible pain from before. His whole body started to grow hot and uncomfortable, and he opened his eyes to look at the woman.

“Sick,” was all he said for fear of another coughing fit. She nodded and continued mumbling. 

“Close your eyes. You can fall asleep if you need to.” She pushed Ashton’s curls back away from his forehead and closed his eyes- he couldn’t help but remember the way his mum used to do the same when he was still just a kid, home from school and sick with something. His head grew heavier in the woman’s lap and she continued her work on the wound on his neck.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t hurt you.”

 

Ashton woke and immediately wished he hadn’t.

His head ached. His throat ached. His entire body ached. He was too tired to open his eyes, so he lay wherever he was with his eyes closed, trying to go back to sleep despite the terrible pain he felt everywhere. 

“When do you think he’ll wake up?” Ashton wanted to groan. There was no way he’d be going back to sleep now. The concern in Luke’s voice made him feel guilty enough to try and open his eyes.

“Yeah- should I call in sick?”

“Mikey, you don’t have to stick around. He’ll be fine.” Calum was probably right, Ashton knew, but he hoped Michael would stick around anyway. He felt like he needed all the support he could get.

“He’s awake.” That voice. It was the woman from the last night. The bartender. The cute one. The one who’d saved his life.

_ Holy shit. _

Ashton opened his eyes with a groan and blinked, trying to clear some of the fuzziness from his vision.

“Hey buddy.” That was Luke, his shoulders taking up most of Ashton’s field of vision as he leaned in close and laid a hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Ashton’s throat was so dry his voice sounded more like a croak than anything else when he spoke, “Pretty shit, mate.”

“Oh, good,” the bartender said, her face appearing over Luke’s shoulder. “If you could step aside for a moment.” She gently pushed Luke towards where Calum and Michael were standing, Calum gripping Michael’s hand tightly as the two watched fearfully.

“What are you doing?” Calum asked as the woman reached for Ashton’s neck.

“Just gonna check how his wound’s healing and that he doesn’t have a concussion. You know. The usual.”

“You say that like you do this often,” Calum said.

“People tend to get pretty rowdy round the bar. I’m trained in first aid.” Ashton held back a wince as the woman began to fiddle with whatever was wrapped around his neck. 

“I still think we should take him to a doctor,” Calum grumbled. There was a thud and what sounded like a groan. “What the fuck Luke, keep your hands to yourself!”

“I will if you shut up. Let Echo do her thing.”

“Echo?” Ashton asked, voice rough as ever. The woman smiled.

“That’s me. I suppose we haven’t actually formally met, have we?”

Ashton closed his eyes and sighed in response. Echo’s fingers were gently as she peeled his wrappings from around his neck and examined the damaged skin there.

“You’re bruised, but it looks like the scrapes have close up nicely.”

Ashton wanted to laugh. Scrapes? He still wasn’t completely sure he hadn’t been hallucinating, but he could’ve sworn his neck had been basically ripped apart last time he’d seen Echo. He grimaced as images of gnashing teeth and black blood swam to the surface of his mind.

“Hurts?” Echo asked, and Ashton grunted.

“Not you. Just-” those strange memories refused to leave him, “-what happened last night?”

“Some psycho creep attacked you. Staff took care of it,” Echo said and discarded his old bandages. She picked up some fresh pieces of cloth from the nightstand next to her and pressed the fabric against her mouth for a moment, mumbling something against it, before wrapping Ashton’s neck in the new, silky material. The smell of herbs clung to the new bandages, and Ashton could remember lying on the bathroom floor, his head in Echo’s lap as she whispered to him softly, that familiar herbal scent mingling with the smell of his own blood and the blood of his attacker.

“Colin?” 

“Yes,” Echo said. “Like I said, staff took care of it.”

Ashton opened his eyes and looked up at Echo. She gave him a half smile and winked.

“We’re so sorry, Ash.” Luke spoke up, and Michael and Calum made noises of affirmation. “We didn’t realize we’d been separated till we got to the bar. We were so fucking drunk.”

“Echo helped us look for you,” Calum added. “We didn’t realize it was serious till she found you in the bathroom.” Ashton could hear that telltale quiver in Calum’s voice that meant he was about to cry. He reached a hand out past Echo, and smiled when he saw Calum’s face as he gripped his hand tightly. 

“It’s okay, Cal. You guys found me before anything got too bad.”

“You were attacked, Ash.” Calum’s eyes were shining with tears and Ashton reached to hold his cheek.

“But I’m fine. Or, I will be.” Ashton tried to clear his throat. “Neck hurts like a bitch.”

Calum gave a watery laugh, and Echo smiled at the two before patting Calum on the shoulder.

“You guys are cute,” she said. “I’m gonna check Ashton for a concussion real quick and then you guys can cuddle all you want.”

Calum didn’t let go of Ashton’s hand, only sat back so Echo had room to work. She took a flashlight from the table next to her and turned it on, shining it into Ashton’s eyes and testing his reflexes before turning it off again.

“No concussion.” She smiled. “I’ll grab you some pain-meds and water while you catch up with your friends. Try and keep your neck still, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you,” Ashton said, and Echo smiled before leaving the room, Calum quick to crowd into the space she left behind. Michael and Luke followed, the two sitting on the edge of the bed against Ashton’s legs. Luke put a comforting hand of Ashton’s knee.

“We really are sorry, Ash,” he said.

“Shut up, you guys,” Ashton said. “You’re not to blame. This was all that Colin prick.” Ashton frowned. “Right monster.”

“Yeah. Monster,” Luke agreed, and the look in his eyes made Ashton wonder if he knew what Ashton had seen.

“Okay. Medicine time,” Echo said, her hands full with bottled water and a couple of spoons. “First this,” she handed one of the spoons to Ashton. An amber colored, gelatinous mass slid around the surface of it and Ashton gripped it between his fingers. He sniffed it and grimaced.

“Oh god,” he said. “What is this?”

“I told you, it’s painkiller,” Echo said. “An old family recipe. All natural. My grandma taught me to make it. It tastes awful but works wonders. I swear, it’s magic.” 

Luke snorted while Ashton tried not to gag, frowning at Echo before shoving the spoon in his mouth and slurping down the gelatinous substance. It was so bitter it brought tears to his eyes, and he reached for the glass of water in Echo’s hand as soon as was done.

“Not yet. First this.” Echo handed him the second spoon and Ashton frowned. It had a heaping pile of white powder on it, and Ashton eyed it suspiciously.

“What is this? Coke to help the medicine go down?”

“Sugar, dear,” Echo said with a smile. “I’m trying to be a regular Mary Poppins here.”

Luke chuckled as Ashton put the spoon in his mouth, sweetness immediately eradicating the bitter taste from earlier. Echo took the empty spoon from his hand and handed him the glass of water, telling him to drink of all it before leaving the room again. The other boys were quiet as Ashton gulped the glass down, the cool slide of the water easing his dry, achy throat.

“Feel better?” Luke asked when Ashton was done. Ashton nodded.

“My neck feels better too. That medicine was quick.”

“Told you it was magic!” Echo called from the other room and the boys chuckled. Echo walked back through the door, leaning against the frame as she watched the four of them. 

“You guys are welcome to stay as long as you want,” she told them. “It’s almost six. I can bring you guys some blankets if you wanna crash on the floor.”

Luke fell back against Ashton’s legs and sighed. “That’d be great. It’s been a long night.”

And it had. Ashton looked at the dark circles under Michael’s eyes and how cuddly and soft Calum was being, resting his cheek on the mattress next to Ashton’s face, and how Luke’s hands kept running through his hair and tugging at the ends of it- something he did when he was stressed. His heart swelled with fondness for his friends, and he was grateful when Echo took them to the next room to wash up and get ready for bed. He could hear Luke and Calum whispering to each other and Michael calling in sick to work when Echo came back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Okay,” Ashton answered. “That medicine stuff is really amazing. Thank you.”

Echo smiled. “No problem. And mentally? Emotionally? How are you?”

Ashton frowned. “Less okay. I swore I saw some crazy shit last night. I’m still trying to sort out what part of it was real and what part of it wasn’t. And I think maybe I’m in shock? I don’t know. I’ve never been in shock before.”

Echo studied him in silence. Her hand was warm against his forehead as she rested it there, closing her eyes and breathing deep before humming in understanding. 

“Shock. Yes. You’re confused and tired. You have questions.” Ashton watched her with wide eyes. She opened her eyes again and looked down at him. “We’ll talk after you get some more rest. You need answers.”

A knock on the door frame made Ashton jump. Echo continued to study him as she answered, “yes, Luke?”

“Could I talk to you for a second?”

Echo turned to look at him. Ashton took in the shape of her jaw, the mess of hair piled on top of her head, the few strands that fell down around her face, her calm composure.  _ Who is this woman? _

“‘Course. I’ll just be a second.” She turned back to face Ashton, her hand on his forehead sliding down to cup his cheek.

“Sweet, dreamless sleep. Rest for the weary. Healing and peace.” She whispered, and then something else in latin before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Ashton’s forehead. As soon as she pulled away Ashton’s eyes felt heavy with sleep, and he sank further and further into the bed as she rose from his side and exited the room, the last thing he registered being the soft sound of her bare feet padding lightly across the wood floor.

 

The next time Ashton awoke he felt lighter. The world around him looked nice- soft around the edges and inviting without that terrible filter of pain that had plagued him earlier. He took his time waking up, finally taking a chance to look around the room he’d slept in. Dried flowers hung from the ceilings in garlands. Tapestries lined the walls, most featuring pictures of the night skies and diagrams of constellations. There was a bookshelf against the wall across from him that was overflowing with books, most bound in leather with the occasional paperback scattered throughout. Jars cluttered shelves that’d been hung haphazardly around the room- some filled with what looked like crystals and rocks, sand, soil- and others with dried herbs, maybe spices. On the floor there was Calum, sleeping soundly on a pile of blankets, drool falling onto a pillow from his open mouth. Ashton couldn’t help but smile through the yawn that escaped his lips as he slowly sat up in bed. He was careful not to move too fast. Despite the pain in his neck being gone, he could still remember the terrible injury, and he made sure his bandage was still securely fastened before rising up from the bed. He was careful as he stepped over Calum and out of the bedroom, doing his best to stay quiet as he entered what looked to be the main room of a little flat.

There was a kitchen and a living room, separated only by a counter. He could see Michael and Luke crammed onto the living room couch together, arms and legs tangled in what looked to be the most uncomfortable way. Echo was the only other person awake in the apartment. She sat at the kitchen table, mug in one hand and book in another. She looked up at Ashton and smiled as he stepped into the room, raising her hand and making a fist as she spoke.

“Afternoon, sleepyhead. Feeling better?”

“Loads,” Ashton whispered and sat down at the kitchen table. Echo smiled.

“Good. You don’t have to whisper, you know? The others won’t hear you.”

“Michael’s a pretty light sleeper,” Ashton warned. Echo just kept smiling.

“Trust me,” she said. “He’ll be fine.” She held up her mug. “Tea?”

“Yes please.”

Echo snapped her fingers, and the stove behind Ashton clicked. Her carefully turned to see the flame under the kettle dancing happily. Echo giggled as Ashton turned back to look at her, disbelief painted on his features.

“I know you’ve got questions,” she said. “Figured I’d answer at least one of them for you.”

“You’re a witch?” Ashton asked, still not sure if he really believed it. Echo looked smug as she sat back in her seat and closed her book.

“Yep.”

“So when Colin called you ‘witchling’, he was serious?”

“Unfortunately,” Echo grimaced. “‘Witchling’ is rather derogatory. And believe me, the last thing you want to do is offend a witch. I’d avoid the term at all costs.”

“Or else you’ll get stabbed in the chest?”

“So you remember?”

“How could I not?” Ashton asked. The kettle behind him began to whistle and shake. Echo snapped her fingers and the sound died down. Ashton watched as she beckoned behind him. The kettle rose from the stove, a mug and tea bag following close behind as they settled onto the table in front of Ashton, pouring themselves without spilling a drop before the kettle floated back to the stove.

“Sugar?” Echo asked.

“Yes please.” Sugar cubes danced across the surface of the table. “Two.” A couple of them hopped happily into Ashton’s cups before Echo whirled her finger around the tea began to stir itself.

“Holy shit,” Ashton said.

“Yep.”

“So you’re a witch. And Colin was,” Ashton trailed off, waiting for Echo to answer.

“A faerie.”

“Are you shitting me?”

“I wish,” Echo said. “The fae are dangerous creatures. Even the good ones can be a bit,” she waved her hand around in front of her, searching for the word, “destructive.” 

“Like, cannibalism destructive? What the hell was that?” Ashton asked. Echo pointed to the mug in front of him.

“Drink your tea,” she told him. “The fae are greedy for life- power. If they can’t get it willingly, they take it. There’s power in blood, among other things. Colin was acting outside of council regulation by taking yours the way he did.” 

“Okay.” Ashton sipped his tea. He didn’t know what else to say. “Am I like, gonna get faerie rabies now or something?”

Echo chuckled, “No. No faerie rabies. You’ll have a little scar where he bit you, and that might make you a bit of a target for other rogue fae. But you’ll be fine.”

“Target? Are you saying this could happen again?”

“Sure. But probably not,” Echo said. “I’ll bless you before you leave and give you a couple of wards to keep you safe. You’ll be fine.”

“Do the other guys know about this?” Ashton asked, pressing his fingers against the sides of his mug in an effort to ground himself. Echo smiled.

“Luke is already familiar with this type of thing, yes,” she said. “Calum and Michael on the other hand.”

“Wait, Luke already knew? Is he a witch too?”

“A siren.” She smiled at the look on Ashton’s face. “Not surprising, is it? He is quite captivating.”

Ashton put his head in his hand and sighed. “If you’re being serious, then this really does explain why everyone in the entire world seems to be so far up Luke’s ass. Holy shit.”

Echo laughed and eyed Ashton over the edge of her tea. “I’m being completely serious.”

“So Luke’s a mythical siren. Cool. And the rest of us are normal?”

“Sure. As normal as normal people can be, anyway.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Everybody’s a little bit magic, Ashton,” Echo said. “I can see it in people’s auras. They’ve all got something, some more than others. Including you.”

“Oh yeah?” Ashton asked. “What’s my aura like?”

“Warm,” Echo answered, leaning forward and studying Ashton closely. “You have so many colors, but they’re all warm. I can see traces of Michael and Calum and Luke in your aura as well. You’ve been friends with them for a long time.” Ashton stayed quiet, reaching his hand across the table instinctively, shivering as Echo took it between her own and ran her fingers across the skin of his wrist.

“You love deeply. You’re vulnerable with those you love, and that vulnerability gives you strength. You’re curious about the world- a constant learner.” Echo closed her eyes and sighed happily. “There is so much life in you.”

“All that from my aura?”

“Aura’s are more than just visual cue surrounding a person. They are essences- feelings. You being so open are particularly easy to read.”

Ashton grimaced, “I don’t know if I like that. Are there a bunch of witches walking around reading my aura and knowing everything about me?”

“A bunch? No. A handful? Maybe.” Echo grinned. “We know there’s at least one.”

Ashton shook his head and pulled his hand away, smiling back at Echo. “This shit is insane.”

“I know. You’re taking it quite well.”

“I might cry about it later, when I have to go back to work and face the real world. Here,” Ashton gestured around the cozy apartment, “it doesn’t seem so hard to believe. And it doesn’t seem so terrifying.”

“I suppose that’s good,” Echo said. “I want you to feel safe here.”

“I do,” Ashton smiled. “I can’t help it.”

 

The rest of the boys didn’t wake up for another hour, giving Ashton time to ask Echo a few more questions- ( _ do you fly around on a broomstick? Is Hogwarts real? Is it offensive if I ask about the Salem Witch Trials? _ ) Ashton was happy to hear from Michael that he’d called Ashton’s office and told them Ashton was too ill to come in, and he gladly accepted Calum’s sleepy cuddly as he plopped himself into Ashton’s laugh and left a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Luke gave him a look that said  _ we need to talk  _ as he slunk behind Mikey and wrapped his arms around his torso. With all of his boys in the kitchen, Ashton could finally see the effect Luke had on everyone around him. Michael, who was hesitant to accept any kind of cuddle from 99% of the population, pretty much let Luke manhandle him however he wanted, and Calum seemed to enjoy admiring Luke from where he sat, letting out a wistful sigh as Luke mindlessly hummed a little tune.

Echo was kind enough to make the group eggs and toast. She didn’t use her magic, Ashton suspected, to keep it a secret from Michael and Calum. Ashton figured that was alright. It was  _ her  _ magic after all. She didn’t have to tell everyone about it.

The boys ate and then helped Echo clean up before gathering their things to leave, grateful for Echo’s help, but missing their own beds. Before they left, Echo lined them up in the living room and presented each of them with a gift.

“For you, Calum,” she pressed a small bundle of herbs into his hands. “Healing. When your body is tired, run a bath and sprinkle a bit of this into the water. It will help keep you strong and restore what is weak.” Calum accepted it with a confused smile and tucked the small parcel into his pocket as Echo moved down the line.

“Michael. An oil to help you sleep. When you’re feeling exhausted, but your mind won’t rest, rub this on your temples and breath deeply to find dreamless sleep and peace.” Michael looked surprised- not many people knew about his struggles with sleep- but he smiled anyway and thanked Echo for the gift.

“Luke,” Echo said. “Repellent. If you just want somebody to leave you alone, sprinkle this on your hand, and then touch some part of them. They’ll fuck off after that- trust me.” 

Luke grinned, “thanks, Echo,” and pocketed the serum while Michael and Calum looked on, confused.

“And finally you, Ashton,” Echo said. “As promised, protection. This-” she held up a small pouch, “is for your home. Hang it above your front door and evil doers will stay far away. And this-” another, smaller pouch, “is for you person. Keep it on you at all times- in your pocket, wallet, shoe, whatever. It will keep you safe.” She tucked both of them into Ashton’s shirt pocket before leaning forward and whispering something in Latin into his ear. Ashton felt warmth bubble in his veins as Echo blessed him before kissing him on the forehead and stepping back, looking at the four boys in front of her.

“I like you guys. You have good energy,” she smiled. “Come back anytime. Luke has my number. I like pizza and beer.” 

“We will,” Ashton said. Reaching forward to give Echo a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair, and Echo rubbed his back comfortingly. 

She waved goodbye from her front door before closing it, leaving the four of them in the hallway. Michael and Calum looked at each other strangely. 

“That was nice. And weird,” Michael said and Calum agreed. Luke shrugged.

“She’s cool.”

“Yeah. Seriously cool,” said Ashton. 

“Definitely,” Calum nodded. “And weird, but it’s fine.”

The four laughed as they headed down the hallway, hands grabbing for each other and arms wrapping around waists as they left the safe haven of Echo’s apartment and headed back out into the world.


	2. we were larkspur and leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which ashton has a green thumb,  
> luke has secrets,  
> michael is oblivious,  
> and calum just wants ashton to give him a hug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some cashton for y'all. still don't know where this is going. echo will be back at some point. more magic and stuff. idk.

Calum had never been so tired in his life.

After their night out from hell and a few hours sleep, Calum had dragged himself to football practice where’d he’d spent the majority of his time fucking up because he couldn’t stop worrying about Ashton. And who could blame him? His best friend had been attacked- how were any of them supposed to be fine after something like that?

By the end of practice Calum was frustrated, tired, and so anxious he skipped showering in the locker room and headed straight for his car, phone in hand as he dialed Ashton’s number.

“Hey, Cal,” he picked up after the third ring. Calum couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey, bud. How are you?”

“Fine. Luke’s staying the night here just to make sure everything’s okay. He’s hogging my Netflix account. Prick.” Calum could hear Luke shout indignantly in the background.

“I’m not surprised,” Calum said. “Luke’s always been the annoying one of the bunch.”

“Hey!” Luke shouted and Ashton giggled.

“We should give him a break, Cal. He did offer to stay with me after all. If I die it’s on his hands.”

“Ashton,” Calum whined. “Don’t joke about that.”

“Sorry,” Ashton said. “Kinda soon, I guess. It’s just easier to joke about than actually think about what happened.”

Calum had finally reached his car, and he sat down in it with a huff and sighed sadly. “I love you, Ash.”

“I love you too, Cal.”

“I love both of you also!” Calum could hear Luke yell. His heart ached and he leaned his head back against the seat rest.

“I just finished practice. I could come over if you want.”

“Nah, Cal. Get some rest,” Ashton said. “I’ll be fine. Take a bath tonight with that stuff Echo gave you. We can meet up tomorrow for lunch if you want- regroup.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure, Cal. I’m fine. Luke and I can handle it.”

“Alright,” Calum sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you then.”

Calum ended the call and closed his eyes, head lolling back against the seat. It all felt like too much. Maybe Ashton was right. A nice bath would do him some good.

Whatever Echo put in that blend for him must have been magic. As soon as the dried herbs touched the water his bathroom filled with the most wonderful smell. It reminded him of childhood and camping with his family and cuddling with his boys on the beach just before they started uni. It reminded him of simpler times and safer places. As Calum lowered his body into the bath, that loving feeling of home seemed to soak right into his bones so that he felt warmth in the core of his being. It was the most rested he’d felt in a long time, and that night Calum had lovely dreams filled with the faces of the people he loved most.

 

It’d been a week since Ashton’s attack, and Calum had managed to visit him every day. Even if it was for just a few minutes, Calum took comfort in seeing Ashton’s face and feeling the warmth of him nearby and hearing his laugh. His injury looked better and better everyday, healing so quickly that Calum almost wondered if Ashton was some kind of mutant or something. By Friday all that was left was a bit of bruising and a silvery scar. Calum told Ashton it made him look rugged and pretended not to notice Ashton blush as he laughed him off.

It wasn’t until Saturday that the four boys could finally meet up again and catch up. Having had enough of bars for the time being, they decided to meet up at Luke’s place, being that he had the most spacious apartment. Calum was on the floor of the living room, his head in Michael’s lap, watching some movie Ashton had put on when he heard Luke gasp. From where he was lying, he couldn’t see the way Luke pulled Ashton up from the couch and rushed him into the kitchen, but he could hear the commotion of it and the soft noises of surprise Ashton was making. Michael looked down at Calum, eyebrow raised.

“What the hell was that?”

“Dunno,” Calum tried to shrug. “Seems like they’re keeping secrets.”

Michael frowned, “I hate secrets.”

“Me too,” Calum whispered, and then sat up from Michael’s lap. “I’m going in. Cover me.”

Michael reached for the tv remote and turned the sound up loud while Calum crawled from the living room to the kitchen, crouching behind the bar and listening to whatever Ashton and Luke were whispering about.

“How long has this been going on?”

“It hasn’t really. I mean, I’ve been feeling kind of off but that seems normal?” Ashton sounded unsure- almost scared. Calum frowned. “Think I should call Echo?”

“Maybe.” Calum could practically hear Luke tugging at his hair in worry. “I just worry that it’s bad- you know?”

“It seems harmless enough.”

“But what if it turns into something else?”

“I don’t know, Luke.” Ashton sighed. “It’s late. I’ll call her tomorrow morning, I promise.”

Calum crawled away from the counter, shuffling back over to Michael. He curled up against his side and kept his lips close to his ear as he spoke.

“Something’s wrong with Ashton. He’s gonna call Echo tomorrow morning.”

He could feel Michael’s shoulders tense against his own. “Should we call a doctor?”

“Not yet,” Calum said. “If Ash doesn’t think he needs it then I wouldn’t push.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Luke asked, walking back into the living room while Ashton trailed in behind him.

“Calum has a crush on Luke,” Michael blurted out and Calum smacked his shoulder.

“Everybody had a crush on Luke, idiot.”

“It’s true,” Ashton confirmed and Luke rolled his eyes.

“Fuck you guys.”

“Gladly,” Michael said and the four burst out laughing.

 

Over the next few days Ashton seemed to recover from whatever had been bothering him and Luke that Saturday night. Calum had to stop himself from asking over and over again if Ashton was fine as he could tell Ash was starting to get annoyed, and maybe a little bit suspicious.

“For the last time, Cal, I feel fucking fantastic. Right as rain. Never better. Etc.”

Even though he stopped asking about it, Calum didn’t stop his daily visits. He started dropping by Ashton’s flat after practice where they’d have a couple of beers and jam on Ashton’s guitars before one of them either fell asleep or Calum went home- whichever came first. Calum was fiddling around on Ashton’s twelve string guitar when he noticed the plants blooming on Ashton’s little balcony.

“You’ve got quite the garden out there, Ash.”

“Thanks,” Ashton smiled. “They’ve been extra lush lately. I think maybe it’s all the humidity. The moisture in the air is good for them.”

Calum grinned. “You’re so cute when you talk about your plants. Like a little urban farmer.”

Ashton rolled his eyes- “shut up,” but Calum could see him trying to hold back a smile.

“C’mere,” he reached out to pull the older boy in for a hug, but Ashton stepped back from his reach.

“You’re making fun of me. Stay away.”

Calum’s instinct was to push the guitar to the side and chase after Ashton until he could force cuddles on him, but there was something wary in Ashton’s face that made him stop. Scared- like a wounded animal. Calum wondered if that had always been there since the attack, if he’d just been ignoring it, or if it was new. He wondered if it was his fault.

He started to get more and more afraid that he’d done something wrong when it continued. Ashton was constantly dodging hugs and cuddles and any type of physical affection. Calum was pretty sure at this point that he would probably refuse a high five if he offered. It made Calum’s heart hurt, but in an effort to make Ashton feel comfortable, Calum said nothing. Instead he just stopped trying to initiate physical contact and kept his distance.

“You’ve been quiet lately,” Ashton told him one day. Calum shrugged.

“Don’t have anything to say, I guess.”

Ashton frowned. “Okay.” He didn’t sound like he believed him.

Another week passed. Ashton’s balcony garden had begun to look like some kind of miniature rainforest, and Calum swore that Ashton was beginning to accumulate more and more house plants. It was a Tuesday morning before practice when he finally decided to ask about it. Ashton was in his living room doing yoga. He was warrior-something-or-other posing, surrounded by plants. Calum stared in disbelief at the line of potted trees lining Ashton’s living room walls, and the dozens of little plants lining his shelves and cluttering his coffee table.

“No offense,” Calum said, “but I think you might have a bit of a hoarding problem.”

Ashton switched legs and turned to face Calum. “Hoarding?”

Calum gestured to the plants that were slowly beginning to take over Ashton’s apartment. “I feel like I’ve just walked into a greenhouse.”

Ashton shrugged, “I like plants. They’re good for the earth.”

Calum frowned. “Ashton.”

“Calum.”

“You know this isn’t normal. Look, you’ve got succulents sitting on your high hats-” Calum pointed a finger at Ashton’s drum set. “I’m not an idiot. What the fuck is going on?”

Ashton’s eyes followed Calum’s finger and he frowned at the drumset in the corner. “I meant to move those earlier.”

Calum ran a hand over his face. “Dammit, Ash. If you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong then I’ll just walk myself out.” He turned to leave.

“Cal,” Ashton said. “Hold on.” Calum could hear Ashton’s bare feet peel off the yoga mat and walk towards him. “Don’t go.”

Calum turned to face him and let out a tired sigh. “I care about you, Ash. Don’t you know that?”

“Of course I do,” Ashton said, and took a step closer to him. Calum watched him cross his arms across his chest. He looked nervous. Calum wanted to reach out, pull Ashton in for a hug and tell him everything was going to be okay. He raised his hand warily and reached for Ashton’s shoulder. Ashton flinched away, leaving Calum with a terrible feeling ache in his chest.

“Ashton.” He knew his voice was wobbly, that it sounded like he was about to cry. He knew it was silly to be upset. It was just houseplants. It was just a little distance. It’s not like Ashton wasn’t his friend anymore. And yet-

“What’s wrong, Cal?” Ashton asked and Calum balled his hands into fists.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“What?” Ashton asked. “Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“It’s just-” Calum hated conversations like this. Hated talking about his feelings. He liked hugging Ashton and goofing off with him because words like this were hard. He didn’t even know where to start. “I feel like you’re boxing me out.”

“Why do you feel that way?” Ashton- the feelings guy- asked. _God dammit,_ Calum thought. _Why can’t I be more like Ash?_

“I know you’re keeping secrets from me,” Calum said. “Mikey too. Don’t think we haven’t noticed you and Luke whispering all the time.” He watched Ashton’s eyes widen in fear. Instead of feeling guilty, Calum just felt angry. Angry at himself for making Ashton afraid, angry at Ashton for not telling him the truth, angry at Ashton’s attacker for starting all this mess in the first place, angry at the universe because it just wasn’t fair.

“You never cuddle anymore,” Calum continued and he felt his cheeks grow hot with shame. “I know you went through some shit. I get it- but you could at least tell me about it instead of shutting me out. I want to be here for you, but I don’t know how. And now all these plants,” Calum raised his arms, gesturing at the apartment. “I’ve never seen you do something like this, Ashton. You used to tell me everything, but now it feels like I know less and less every day.” His voice shook and Calum clenched his jaw in an effort to hold it together.

Ashton was wide eyed and clearly still nervous. Calum could see the way he gripped his own sides and struggled to look Calum in the eye. It was all too much. Calum needed to leave. He took a step back, the pressure behind his eyes intensifying as he moved towards the door.

“I should go,” he said and turned so he wouldn’t have to look at Ashton anymore. “Call me or text me or whatever. Just-” Calum stopped at the door, hand curled around the knob, “you can trust me, Ash.“

He almost couldn’t hear the pained noise Ashton made, and the door was halfway open when he felt long fingers circle around his arm.

“Calum,” Ashton breathed and suddenly Calum’s back was pinned to the door as it slammed shut behind him, Ashton glued to his front with his arms wrapped tightly around him.

And Calum almost wanted to laugh because he was just so damn _easy_ for Ashton. He wrapped his arms around the shorter boy and buried his face in his curls, nose wrinkling when his hair tickled his face. The two boys stood like that for what felt like a long time, rocking back and forth slightly as they held each other.

“Don’t be mad,” Ashton whispered against Calum’s neck, his lips pressed against the skin there in a way that made Calum’s eyes flutter shut in bliss.

“Not at you. Never at you,” Calum said, and it was true. No matter what Ashton did, Calum would always follow him around like a lost puppy, basking in Ashton’s warmth and begging for more.

“Don’t be mad,” Ashton said again, and he sounded almost desperate. He moved to pull away from the hug. Calum opened his eyes as he felt him slip between his hands, and-

“Oh,” Calum said and Ashton’s eyes grew watery.

There were flowers blooming happily all across the boy’s skin. Vines wrapped around his arms and up his chest, circled his neck and curled behind his ear. They were heavy with flowers- what looked like little roses and daisies, and some that smelled so sweet- they reminded Calum of his mother’s garden, and he wondered if that was jasmine draped over Ashton’s shoulders like a cape.

“Ash,” Calum said, his voice soft as his eyes watched the vines begin to shrink and fade away, a few petals falling from the flowers and onto the floor, “what’s happening?”

“I-,” Ashton’s voice shook, “It started a few weeks ago. Whenever someone touches me I grow flowers.”

Calum made a soft sound of disbelief. “You grow flowers?”

“Yeah.”

“These came from you?”

Ashton looked down at his feet. “Yeah.”

“Holy shit,” Calum said, and Ashton looked up at him. “Just- can I-?” He reached out for Ashton’s shoulder which was quickly becoming more bare as the vines disappeared.

“I- sure.” Ashton nodded and Calum gently rested his hand there against the bare skin. Almost instantly the vines began to grow thicker, as if given new life. Little leaves sprouted around Calum’s fingertips and flowers began to bloom, their petals furling out while Ashton turned his face away, his cheeks red as Calum gawked.

“Holy shit,” Calum said again. “Sorry, it’s just- I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Me neither,” Ashton said, and Calum couldn’t help but smile.

“So, this happens whenever _anyone_ touches you?”

“Well,” Ashton began, his cheeks turning more and more red. “Not exactly.” Calum ran his fingers down Ashton’s arm while he waited for him to explain, watching as beautiful lavender and pink flowers bloomed in their wake.

“I’ve been doing some tests,” Ashton confessed. “And- if it’s a stranger, nothing happens.”

“No flowers?”

“No. Nothing.”

“So it’s just with people you know?”

“Not necessarily,” Ashton said, his voice quiet, almost like he was ashamed. “I think it’s just with people I really like? Like, I like when you touch me, so,” Ashton trailed off. Pride burned in Calum’s chest and he couldn’t help the stupid grin on his face at the news.

“So these past few weeks you haven’t been letting me touch you at all,” he said and Ashton finally looked him in the eye again, “because you knew you would start to bloom if I did?”

“You don’t have to look so smug about it,” Ashton grumbled and Calum laughed, taking Ashton’s hand in between both of his own and watching as a large peony unfurled from the boy’s palm.

“You like me,” Calum teased and Ashton groaned.

“Shut up.”

“No,” Calum said, his voice still teasing. “You love me.” Despite his tone, he looked at Ashton expectantly afterwards. Ashton stepped forward and cupped the back of Calum’s neck with his free hand.

“Yes. I love you. Now please shut up.”

Calum grinned. Now that he knew to look for it, he could feel soft petals brushing against the skin of his neck as he gazed down at Ashton. He leaned in close, till their foreheads were almost touching.

“This okay?” he asked, and Ashton hummed in content.

“Yes.”

“This?” He inched closer, and he could feel Ashton’s warm breath against his mouth.

“I thought I told you to shut up,” Ashton said, and suddenly his lips were against Calum’s. Calum could feel the vines on Ashton’s arms creeping around his own, making it so he and Ashton both were surrounded by soft petals and the smell of jasmine.

“By the way,” Ashton whispered as he pulled away, flowers falling into his eyes as he did so, “Luke’s a siren.”

“Wait, what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still don’t really know where this is going, so your thoughts and ideas are much appreciated. :) thanks for your comments and kudos!


	3. love it if we made it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which ashton is terrified,  
> luke is sparkly,  
> calum is thirsty as hell,  
> and michael just wants to be loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didn't really plan for this development, but it just kind of happened.  
> also sorry this v long, whoops.

“Are you about to suck his dick?”

Michael had been on his way home from work when he decided to pick up a pizza. Ashton’s apartment was conveniently on the way home, and not in the mood to eat alone, Michael thought he’d swing by. Maybe share a beer with the guy, watch a show or two, and then head home for the night. He hadn’t expected, having let himself in through the front door, to find two of his best friends in such a position as this.

Calum was crouched in between Ashton’s legs, hands curled around the waistband of his boxers and looking very smug for someone who was a few inches away from being caught with his hand down his friend’s pants. Ashton’s face was bright red and he had flowers stuck all over him.

“Michael,” Ashton said. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Michael said, and then moved some of the plants littering the coffee table to the side and set the pizza down. “Nice flowers.”

“Thanks,” Ashton said.

“So the dick sucking,” Michael continued, and Ashton choked. “Should I just come back later or?”

“No. No it’s fine,” Ashton said and tried to close his legs to no avail. Calum was still kneeling between them, a shit eating grin on his face. “We weren’t- that’s not-”

“For the record,” Calum interrupted him, “I was totally about to suck his dick.”

“Calum!” Ashton yelled and shoved him away.

“What?” Calum asked. “Michael asked. I’m not gonna lie to him. He’s my best friend.” Calum stood up and moved to Michael’s side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Besides, he gets it.”

“I do.” Michael nodded seriously. “Calum’s mouth is amazing.”

“What?” Ashton asked. “You two have-”

“Yep,” Calum said. “Michael couldn’t keep his hands off me.”

“And Calum couldn’t keep his mouth off my dick.”

Calum rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot,” he said, and took his arm off of Michael. “I should probably head out. I think Ashton has something he should tell you,” Calum told Michael, but eyed Ashton out of the corner of his eye. Ashton, in the meantime, had located his shorts and was pulling them back up his legs.

“You guys are weird,” Michael said, and plopped down on the couch next to Ashton, reaching for the pizza on the coffee table. “But I love you.”

“Love you too, Mike,” Calum said, and reached down to run his fingers through his hair. “And you, Ash.”

Ashton reached for Calum’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm, whispering into his skin. Michael hummed inquisitively as vines crept around Ashton’s wrist, little roses blooming. He watched them slowly open and then shed their petals as Calum left the house, and waited until the vines had completely disappeared before speaking.

“So you’re like some kind of flower child now?”

“Are you mad?” Ashton asked instead of answering. Michael frowned.

“Of course not, you idiot. Just wondering when this started happening. And why.”

“A few weeks ago,” Ashton said. “I need to talk to Echo about it. I called her when it started, and she said she’d look into it- let me know if it’s dangerous or not.”

Michael snorted, “Dangerous? What like you’re going to smother me with roses or something?”

“Shut up,” Ashton grumbled. “We’re just being cautious.”

“Right,” Michael said and opened the box of pizza, grabbing a slice for himself. “Help yourself, by the way.” He gestured to the box and Ashton grabbed a piece of his own. “So, when do the flowers appear? Can you control it?”

“As of now? No.” Ashton took a bite of his pizza and spoke with his mouthful. “They show up whenever someone I love touches me.”

“That’s kind of cute,” Michael said. “Is that why it looks like a pile of flowers exploded?” He gestured to the area around Ashton where loose petals and leaves littered every surface. “‘Cause Cal was about to blow you?”

“Oh my god,” Ashton groaned. “I’m never going to live this down.”

“What if, like,” Michael continued, deciding to give Ashton a break, “Luke touches you?”

“That’s how I first found out about it actually,” Ashton said. “We were cuddling and suddenly I started sprouting daisies.”

“Cool,” Michael said, and threw his pizza crust into the box. “Can I, like, try it?”

“Might as well,” Ashton said. “Although I’m pretty sure I know what’s gonna happen.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Ashton said, and Michael hoped they were on the same page. He leaned forward, and for the first time that evening hesitated. He was nervous. What if Ashton didn’t love him enough to make flowers when he touched him? It wasn’t the end of the world, Michael supposed, but it would be terrible all the same.

“Mike,” Ashton said, soft and sure. “Come on.” He reached for Michael’s hand. Michael wanted to close his eyes, wanted to look away, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Ashton’s hand as it closed around his own.

Ash’s fingers were so familiar- warm and inviting just like the man himself. Michael sat and stared at where Ashton’s thumb pressed against his own, waited for something to happen.

Nothing did.

“Hold on,” Ashton said, and scooted closer to Michael on the couch. “Let me just-” he moved till he was practically on top of Michael, reaching for his other hand, and then his neck, and then his face when his skin continued to stay bare.

“Ash,” Michael said, voice slightly squished from the way Ashton gripped his cheeks. “Ash, it’s fine.”

“No it’s not.” Ashton frowned. “It should be working. It always does. I should be blooming.”

Michael was beginning to feel embarrassed as Ashton cradled him, even leaning forward and pressing his mouth against Michael’s skin, waiting for the smallest sign of life to show on his skin.

“Ashton,” Michael’s voice was firm as he pushed Ashton away. “It’s okay.”

“But,” Ashton sounded as hurt as Michael felt. “It’s not. I love you. Why isn’t anything happening?”

“Maybe it’s not the same as with Calum and Luke,” Michael shrugged. “Maybe it’s a different kind of love.” The words were like poison in his mouth, but he would say anything to make Ashton feel better. He could see him crumbling in his lap, looking so sad as his hands continued to brush across Michael’s exposed skin.

“No, Michael,” Ashton insisted. “I love all of you- you, Calum, Luke- you’re all encompassing to me.”

“I know,” Michael tried to reassure him. “I know. But- it must be different. Somehow.”

“I refuse to accept this,” Ashton said. “Get up.” He rose from the couch, pulling at Michael’s arm. “We’re going to see Echo.”

“Right now? Ash,” Michael said. “It’s fine, she’s probably working tonight anyway.”

“I don’t care,” Ashton said. “Let’s go.” And Michael, despite the ache in his chest that was pressing against his ribs, telling him he was _not enough, not enough, not enough,_ felt somewhat subdued by Ashton’s determination to prove that he loved him- loved him like Calum and Luke- loved him enough to make flowers of their own.

They called Luke in the car ride over.

“We’re going to Echo’s,” Ashton said.

“Is something wrong?” Luke’s voice sounded strained through the phone’s speakers.

“My flowers aren’t working right,” Ashton said.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll show you when you get there,” Ashton said. “I’m gonna call Cal and tell him to come over too.”

“Cal knows?”

“Yeah. So does Mike.”

“Do they know about the siren thing?”

“What siren thing?” Michael asked and Luke groaned.

“You didn’t tell me I was on speaker!”

“Sorry,” Ashton didn’t sound very sorry at all. “Michael, Luke’s a siren. And Echo’s a witch.”

“And you?” Michael asked. “What are you?”

“I don’t know,” Ashton said, and Luke sighed over the phone.

 

“Hey guys,” Echo said when Ashton let the two of them into her apartment. “The other’s on their way?”

“Yeah,” Ashton said. “We called them on the ride over. They should be here soon.”

“Great,” Echo said. She was sitting on her couch, piles of books stacked on the coffee table in front of her, various crystals and dried plants scattered about. Michael stayed back while Ashton made himself comfortable on the couch next to Echo. She closed the book in her hands and set it down on the table.

“Still got that green thumb you were telling me about?” she asked, and Michael snorted.

“His apartment’s covered in plants. It’s like a damn jungle.”

Ashton shrugged. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. They just kept appearing. I had to buy a bunch of pots to keep up with it all.

“And the flowers,” Echo said. “Still got vines growing out of your skin?”

“That’s the problem,” Ashton said, frowning. “I’ll show you when the other guys get here- something’s off.”

Echo nodded and leaned back on the couch, finally turning and really acknowledging Michael for the first time. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Michael nodded at her.

“How are you feeling about all this?” she asked, and Ashton looked so guilty sitting beside her. Michael couldn’t stand it.

“I’m fine,” Michael said. “My friends have always been weird. Makes sense that it’s because they’re magic or whatever.” He could see Ashton’s face soften with the joke. He counted it as a win.

“We’re here!” A voice called from the hallway and then Luke and Calum were in the living room, Luke immediately crowding against Michael’s side in greeting while Calum sat on the couch next to Ashton.

“Hi,” Luke whispered against Michael’s skin, wrapping his arms around his middle, and Michael couldn’t help but fall into his embrace. Luke understood- all of this was starting to feel like too much. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Michael said, and closed his eyes when Luke’s hair tickled his face. “Are you using your siren powers to calm me down?”

“Nah,” Luke said. “I’ve never been good at that. I specialize in other things.”

“Other things?”

“Sex stuff,” Ashton spoke up from the couch. Michael opened his eyes to look at him. His hand was curled around Calum’s, wild flowers unfurling between their fingers. “That’s why everybody always wants to bone him.”

“Seriously?” Michael asked, and he could feel Luke shift away to look at him- his face suddenly much farther away than it had been before.

“Yeah,” Luke said. “Sirens are good at catching people’s attention. We feed off of energy.”

“Sexual energy,” Calum waggled his eyebrows and Ashton smacked his arm.

“Shut up, you’re as new to this as Michael is,” he chided him.

“He’s right though,” Luke shrugged. “Lust makes us powerful.” His eyes fell on Echo, who was sitting back watching the exchange with an amused expression on her face. “Hey, Echo.”

“Luke. Calum.” She nodded at the both of them. “Good to see you two.”

“Same here,” Calum said, and opened his mouth to say something else when Ashton interrupted him, knocking his knuckles against the surface of the coffee table.

“I’d like to call this meeting to order,” Ashton said and Michael rolled his eyes. “First item of business: Echo, please fix me.” Calum rubbed his thumb across Ashton’s hand comfortingly and Michael watched as a few rose petals fell to the ground. He felt his heart begin to ache- he wondered if his touch would ever make Ashtom bloom like that.

“You still haven’t told us what’s wrong, you know,” Calum reminded him, and Michael could feel his cheeks heating up with embarrassment already.

“C’mere, Mike,” Ashton said, and even though his voice was gentle Michael still didn’t want to approach him. Luke let him go and all Michael wanted to do was run away. Vines kept wrapping themselves around Calum and Ashton’s hands and Michael thought he’d rather just disappear than experience the rejection he knew was coming.

He stepped forward anyway- because he loved Ashton, and he’d do anything for him. Ashton let go of Calum’s hands and waited for the flowers to fade away before reaching for Michael.

“Remember how we talked about the flowers being my magic’s way of expressing love?” Ashton asked Echo, though his eyes were trained on Michael’s outstretched hand the entire time. “I love Calum and Luke and Michael.” His fingers brushed Michael’s. “They should all get flowers.” Long fingers tangled with short ones, and Michael let himself be pulled closer to Ashton. He watched as Ashton’s skin stayed bare and tried not to let it show how much it upset him.

“See?” Ashton asked. “Something’s wrong.” Michael watched him turn to look at Echo, shaking Michael’s hand in his own for emphasis. “Where are our flowers?”

Echo leaned forward, looking closely at Michael and Ashton’s hands. “Do you mind if I-?” She reached her hand out, and Ashton nodded. Echo cradled Ashton and Michael’s hands in her own. Michael tried to stay relaxed. More than anything, he just wanted this to be over with.

“Huh,” Echo said, and pulled her hands away. “You guys mind if I steal Michael for a second?”

Ashton let go of his hand and Michael took a step back. He couldn’t look at the other boys, afraid that he’d find pity in their eyes if he did. Or worse, what if it didn’t surprise them at all? _What if I’ve been the odd one out this entire time?_ Michael thought and wished he hadn’t.

Michael followed Echo out of the room, trying to ignore the terrible silence that had settled there as Echo ushered him into her bedroom and shut the door behind him.

“What do you know about magic, Michael?” she asked and gestured towards the bed. Michael sat on the edge of it.

“Just jumping right into it, are we?” he tried to joke. “I didn’t know magic existed till today.” He shrugged. “I played League of Legends in high school if that helps.”

“It doesn’t, but I appreciate the honesty,” Echo smiled and Michael tried to ease some of the tension in his own shoulders, rolling his head back and cracking his neck. “Mind if I sit next to you?”

“It’s your bed,” Michael said. “Do what you want.”

Echo kept her distance, as if she could sense Michael was uncomfortable. And she probably could. Michael didn’t like it- he felt too exposed under Echo’s gaze.

“Everybody has an aura,” she started speaking, leaned back on her hands, legs folded underneath her like they were old friends catching up- not a human and a witch delving into the world of magic. “Witches can sense them- see them, feel them, sometimes even taste them. Ever heard of synesthesia?”

“Sure,” Michael said. “It’s when you see colors in music, or something.”

“Exactly,” Echo smiled. “Witches sense auras kind of like that- what we see and feel helps us to read a person’s energy.”

“That’s cool,” Michael said lamely, unsure of why she was telling him this.

“Ashton’s aura is one of the strongest I’ve ever encountered,” Echo said. “His overflows into the space around him. It makes me wish that everyone could see it- it’s beautiful.”

“Of course it is,” Michael said, and he couldn’t help the softening of his shoulders, “he’s like sunshine.”

“Yes,” Echo grinned. “Exactly. Ashton’s aura is like sunshine.”

“What about Calum and Luke’s?” Michael asked.

Echo sat forward, leaning closer to Michael, her voice taking on an element of excitement and Michael could tell- she loved this.

“Calum’s is unique,” she said. “He’s a mix of cool and warm- lots of dark blues and bright yellows- toeing the line between bubbly and reserved. And Luke,” Echo shivered. “He’s all glitter and shine. Typical siren stuff- even manages to get us witches under his spell,” she said.

“Wow,” Michael said. “You see all that all the time?”

“Yep,” Echo said. “I choose to ignore it most of the time, but since that first night you were all here-” she shrugged- “I couldn’t help but get a little nosey.”

Michael wrinkled his nose and tried not to think about that night- how Ashton’s skin had looked so pale, his shirt stained with blood. “What about mine?” he asked, hoping to banish the images from his mind. “What’s my aura look like?”

Echo’s face softened, “Blurry.”

“Blurry?” Michael asked. “That’s not a color.”

“No, it’s not,” Echo agreed. “I’ve had trouble reading you since the very beginning.”

“But,” Michael felt like his thoughts were all a jumble, “why?”

“I’m not sure exactly,” she said. “I have a theory.”

“And what is it?”

“Remember what I said about Ashton’s aura? That it overflows,” Echo said, and Michael nodded. “He’s an incredibly vulnerable person. It’s kind of beautiful just how open he is,” she continued. “You, on the other hand, are an enigma. When I look at your aura, it’s like it’s encrypted. I can’t make sense of it.”

“So, I’m just a super closed off person?” Michael frowned. “I’m not though.”

“You are with me,” Echo said. “And, I suspect, with a lot of the world. You have your people- your Calum and Luke and Ashton- and you’re open with them, but not with the rest of us.”

“So,” Michael said, “you can’t read my aura because I won’t let you? But- you’re a witch. Shouldn’t you be able to do some magic stuff and see it?”

“See,” Echo said, “that’s the super weird part.” Michael’s stomach churned. “I’ve met private people before, and usually my magic is enough to overcome their barriers. But my magic has no effect on you.”

Michael had so many questions, he didn’t know where to start. “Have you been using magic on me this whole time?”

“This is what I mean,” Echo said. “I brought you in here, alone, because the energy in this room is moldable- easy for me to work with. And even so, everything I’ve tried has been unsuccessful. You’re not affected by my magic.”

“That’s-” Michael was flustered. “So what? I’m just anti-magic? I’m like a super muggle?”

“I’m not sure,” Echo shrugged. “I told you, you’re an enigma. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Michael was frustrated. His mind spun as he let the information sink in, as he thought about what this meant for him, about what this meant for Ashton.

“Is that why Ashton won’t grow flowers when I touch him?” Michael asked, “Because I’m anti-magic?”

“It seems logical,” Echo said. “I think it’s the best guess we have.”

“But what if,” Michael paused, unsure if he should share this or not. He looked at Echo’s face- open and lacking all judgment. He hoped she was safe, because he felt like his heart was breaking and he needed to tell someone before he exploded. “What if Ashton just doesn’t love me as much as he thinks he does.”

“Oh, Michael,” Echo said, and Michael had to look away. He studied his hands, the tattoos littering his fingers, and tried not to flinch when Echo scooted closer to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and rubbing her thumb against the tense muscles there.

“Ashton is so in love with you, it’s impossible to ignore,” she said. “Your aura, and Luke’s and Calum’s as well, are so tangled up in Ashton’s, it was the first thing I noticed when he walked into the bar.”

“But you can’t even see my aura,” Michael said, “How do you know it’s tangled up with Ashton’s? It could be someone else.”

“It’s you, Michael,” Echo said. “It’s still blurry to me, even with Ashton’s light shining on it, but it’s definitely yours. Just because I can’t read your energy doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still belong to you.”

Michael let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, his head in his hands. “Sorry,” he muttered. “‘S a lot.”

“It’s okay,” Echo said, still rubbing circles on his back. “You’re okay.”

Michael took a few more minutes to himself, eyes closed as Echo quietly hummed beside him. He couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong with him. If he could just be more like Calum or Luke- more vulnerable and less enigmatic- he could make flowers grow on Ashton’s skin too. Why was he so closed off? Was he afraid? Michael didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. It felt like too much, and more than anything he just wanted to crawl into his boys’ arms and fall asleep for a thousand years.

“We should head back out there,” Echo said, her voice soft. “You don’t have to say anything, I’ll explain it all to the boys.”

“Could I just stay here?” Michael asked. “I’m not sure I’m ready to hear it all again.”

“Sure,” Echo said, and stood from the bed. Michael could feel her hand on the top of his head and heard her whispering something in a different language before she started for the door.

“Not sure it’ll help,” she said, “but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“What was that?” Michael asked.

“A blessing. A wish for peace and clarity.” She smiled at him, and Michael smiled weakly back.

“Thank you,” he said, and Echo nodded before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. Michael could hear the muffled voices of his friends asking questions, and Echo talking over them, explaining everything in the same calm voice. Snippets of sentences made their way under Echo’s bedroom door- Ashton’s condition, the attack by the faerie, that somehow Colin’s bite had triggered some kind of magic response, that it seemed as though Michael was immune to all magic.

Michael flinched when he heard Luke shout, “oh my God!” and Echo shush him. Michael wondered if this was the end of everything- if Luke and Ashton wouldn’t like him anymore because he was everything they weren’t. He rejected magic while they sparkled with it.

There was a knock at the door. “Mike?” It was Luke, and Michael grunted in reply, sitting up straight when the door opened to reveal Luke standing in the hallway, practically buzzing with nervous energy.

“Come out here? Please?” he asked, and Michael wanted to say no, but the way Luke nervously tugged at his sleeves when Michael hesitated made it impossible to keep him waiting. He stood up from the bed and followed Luke out of the safety of Echo’s bedroom.

“Echo told us everything,” he said as they entered the living room. Ashton and Calum were still sat together on the couch. Echo had cleared a space on her coffee table to sit and was watching Michael curiously. “I just wanted to test something real quick, if you don’t mind.”

Michael did mind. “Luke,” he started, his voice heavy with uncertainty.  
“It’s not bad, I promise,” Luke said. “I just- I’ve always thought something like this was going on, but I wasn’t sure.”

“What do you mean?” Michael asked, and Luke ushered him to sit on the couch.

“Just, hold on,” Luke said and moved towards the opposite side of the room where he started pacing back and forth.

“Being a siren can be awesome,” he said, “but also really shitty. I’ve gotten pretty good at toning down my charm, but when I was a kid I had lots of friends who hung out with me just because of my magic.”

“Are you saying they were literally under your spell?” Calum asked and Ashton snorted. Luke ignored them.

“There’s always doubt in my mind,” Luke’s voice was starting to get smaller, “that the people around me are only here because of my magic.”

“Luke,” Ashton protested, but Luke shushed him.

“I know you guys love me, I know, just let me do this,” Luke said. He stopped pacing and turned to look at Michael. “I’m going to stop holding back my charm- just to see what happens.”

“If you don’t mind,” Echo said, “I’m just gonna leave the room. I don’t really feel like accidentally trying to make out with you.” She got up from the coffee table and headed for her bedroom. “Let me know when you guys are done! And try not to make too big of a mess,” she called and shut the door behind her. Michael looked at Luke with wide eyes.

“Is that seriously what’s about to happen?” he asked, and Luke shrugged.

“We’ll see,” he said. “I’ll only stop for a little bit. Are you guys okay with this?”

Calum shrugged. “Sure,” he said. Ashton nodded, even though his face was bright red. “I guess.”

“Mike?” Luke asked, and Michael wasn’t sure what Luke was hoping for, but he hoped that whatever it was, he got it. He nodded.

“Go for it.”

“Okay. Just- give me a second.” Luke let his head roll back, the long column of his throat exposed as he gradually started to relax, arms growing lax at his sides as he took in a deep breath. “Haven’t done this in awhile,” he admitted as he lifted his head to look at them again. Michael could already see a change. Luke’s eyes were brighter, his cheeks flushed and he swore he could see traces of glitter on his cheeks that hadn’t been there before. Luke took a couple steps closer to them, and Michael could see it- he was a siren. How he’d never noticed before, he wasn’t sure. Luke walked with a confidence and casualty that exuded sex. He heard Ashton choke on his breath next to him, and turned to see both Ashton and Calum staring at Luke, pupils blown as they watched his easy movements around Echo’s apartment.

“Luke,” Calum’s voice was raspy as he rose from the couch, walking up to Luke’s side and plastering himself there, hands already roaming across his chest, wrinkling his shirt. Ashton, who was completely alone on the couch, had flowers falling from his shoulders in waves. Michael was astonished- Luke didn’t even need to touch him and Ashton was already completely blissed out, stumbling up from the couch and to Luke’s other side where he started pressing kisses to the side of his neck.

“Michael?” Luke’s voice was thicker than usual- slow and sweet like molasses. Michael watched the scene in front of him with wide eyes. “Michael,” Luke said his name again.

“Yeah?”

“Feel anything?” Luke asked, and Michael realized that he was the only one of his friends not glued to Luke’s side. Sure- he definetly wanted to fuck Luke, but it wasn’t any more than usual.

“No,” Michael answered truthfully. “You’re amazing and wonderful and totally, _totally_ hot,” Michael said. “But you’re still just my Luke.” He shrunk back into the couch. “Is that bad?”

Luke grinned, and Michael swore the glitter on his cheeks intensified. Calum sank to his knees, hands running up Luke’s thighs while Ashton slipped his hands under his shirt. “It’s amazing, Mike.”

And suddenly, just as quickly as it’d started, his charm was gone. Calum sat back on his heels and rubbed at his forehead, whining about a headache while Ashton’s face grew bright red, and he quickly tore himself away from Luke, accidentally stepping on the flowers that had begun growing up from the floorboards around their feets and shaking petals out of his hair. Luke strode forward and plopped himself down on Michael’s lap with a laugh, nuzzling against his neck affectionately.

“I love you, Michael.”

“I love you too,” he said.

“You don’t know how special you are,” Luke whispered against his skin. “I don’t have to be afraid with you. You like me for me.”

“I love you for you,” Michael said again and wrapped his arms tightly around the taller boy. Luke’s word of affection were starting to make less and less sense, but Michael didn’t care. He shivered at the way Luke’s lips brushed against his skin, changed from mumbled words to purposeful kisses trailing up his throat, across his jaw to his mouth, and suddenly Michael’s tongue was pressed against Luke’s and he was whining quietly against him.

“No fair,” Calum spoke, and Luke pulled away to look at him. “We all wanna make out with Luke.”

“Speak for yourself,” Ashton said, still picking flowers out of his hair. “I wanna make out with Michael.”

“What about a four-way make out?” Calum countered. “Think that would work?”

“Not in my house,” Echo said, and the four boys jumped at her sudden entrance. “You guys _will_ break something if you have an orgie in my living room. But feel free to continue this at one of your own apartments.” She smiled and headed to the kitchen where she started rummaging around her fridge. Luke wiggled a little in Michael’s lap, grinning when Michael let out a quiet groan.

“C’mon,” Luke said. “Let’s go.”

He got up from Michael’s lap and reached a hand out to help him up. As soon as Michael was standing he had an armful of Ashton, pushing him toward the door and shouting a half-assed goodbye to Echo on their way out.

“I wasn’t joking earlier,” Ashton said. “I really would like to make out with you now, if that’s cool.”

“Thanks, Ash,” Michael smiled appreciatively. “I’d like to make out with you too.”

And just as soon as he’d said it Ashton was crowding him against the wall outside Echo’s apartment, all soft lips and giggles, and then Calum was there, pressed against their sides, whining about a four-way make out.

“Come on, idiots,” Luke said, smacking the back of Calum’s head. “Don’t wanna disturb   
Echo’s neighbors.”

“Shut up, Luke,” Ashton mumbled against Michael’s mouth, biting softly at his bottom lip. “‘M busy.”

“Don’t make me use my charm on you. I’ll lure you all the way home.”

“Try it, Hemmings,” Michael said with a gasp, as Ashton moved to suck at his collarbones. He grinned at the siren. “I have super powers.”

“What the hell am I going to do with you?” Luke shook his head and started walking away from the three boys, a mischievous look on his face as glitter started to accumulate on his cheekbones. Ashton and Calum were suddenly completely useless as they slid away from Michael and started following Luke helplessly, practically drooling over him. Michael glared at him.

“Fuck you, Hemmings. I’ll just hang out with Echo!”

“C’mere, Mike,” Luke called and beckoned him closer. Michael rolled his eyes, but followed all the same, a faint blush dusting his cheeks when he spotted the grin on Luke’s face.

“You love me,” Luke said, and reached for Michael’s hand when he got close enough. He’d already toned down his charm enough that Calum and Ashton could function normally again, and Michael could hear them cursing behind them as they headed for Luke’s car.

“Sure I do,” Michael shrugged, and his heart felt so full when Calum slunk up to his side, pulling Michael’s arm over his shoulder for an impromptu cuddle while Ashton’s hand gripped the back of his shirt.

“All of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! comments and kudos always appreciated.


	4. won't you sing me something for the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which calum is trapped,  
> michael is determined,  
> ashton is scared,  
> and luke just wants everything to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is long.  
> this is a lil smutty,  
> a lil fluffy,  
> a lil dangerous.  
> it also took me ages to write.   
> hope you enjoy. :)  
> ps. this is also unedited as hell.

Luke was just a normal guy in a normal house doing normal guy things.

So maybe he was covered in glitter from head to toe, shedding the gold dust onto every conceivable surface. So maybe he was also covered in three very naked boys who were snoring softly. So maybe flowers were blooming wildly everywhere, filling his bedroom with their heavy sweet scent. So maybe Calum’s lips were especially plump from all that dick sucking that’d happened earlier, and maybe Luke was feeling a little sore between his legs (in the best way), and maybe he was stupidly in love with his three best friends.

Normal guy. Normal apartment. Normal guy things.

“You still awake?” Michael’s mouth was smushed against his shoulder, and Luke could feel his stubble scrape against the bare skin as he spoke.

“Can’t help it,” Luke sighed happily. “I’m all keyed up with your guys’ sexual energy.”

“Gross,” Michael murmured, and squeezed his eyes shut. Luke admired the way his eyelashes left faint shadows across his pale cheeks. “You came like, five times you animal. Quit being such a siren and go to sleep.”

“I will eventually,” Luke ignored his taunting and ran his hand up and down Michael’s spine. “Love you, you know?”

“I know,” Michael said. “Love you too.”

And Luke knew he did. He couldn’t deny the warmth that bloomed in his chest whenever he heard Michael say it. He kept sliding his hand along Michael’s back until he felt his breathing slow. Despite the energy of multiple orgasms and mind blowing sex zinging through his veins, Luke felt happy and sated with his three boys beside him (and kind of on top of him- Calum was starting to crush his abdomen, but Luke loved him too much to care.)

The sun had begun to rise and Luke was still wide awake when Ashton finally came to. A crown of hydrangea and garden roses adorned his head as his eyes blinked open.

“Morning,” he whispered, voice raspy and sounding freshly fucked even after a good night’s sleep. “You been awake long?”

“A bit,” Luke said. “‘S okay. I’ve got enough energy for the next few days. Siren stuff, you know.”

Ashton hummed and turned onto his back, stretching long across the bed and exposing the laurels and vines that had wrapped their way around his torso. Luke knew he was really starting to wake up when he let out a soft gasp.

“Holy shit,” Ashton said. “We destroyed your apartment.”

He wasn’t wrong. Ivy coated Luke’s walls and birch branches stretched over the bed where the four of them had slept. Luke didn’t mind the plants so much, and being a siren he’d gotten used to the gold glitter that followed him everywhere he went. He smiled up at the beautiful mess of greenery above them.

“I like it,” he said.

“Your landlord won’t,” said Ashton. Luke would’ve shrugged if not for Michael’s face still being pressed against his shoulder.

“Don’t care,” Luke said. “It was totally worth it.” 

Ashton stifled a laugh into the pillows that made Luke grin. He reached over to run a hand across Ashton’s cheek tenderly and marveled at the soft petals that fell to the bed in his wake. 

“You know,” Ashton said, reaching up and tangling his fingers with Luke’s, “I’ve been thinking.” 

“Yes?” Luke asked and watched little forget me knots begin to tie their hands together.

“I’ve got, like magical plant powers now,” Ashton said, “and Mikey’s kinda magic too with his whole super muggle thing,” Luke snorted, “and you’ve got your siren powers. What’s gonna happen to Calum?”

“What do you mean?” Luke asked.

“I mean, he’s the only one of us who’s normal. How long is that gonna last when he’s boning three magic people and is friends with a witch? Realistically, I mean.”

Luke frowned. “Don’t talk like that,” he said. “Makes me feel weird. Like something bad is gonna happen.”

“But that’s just it,” Ashton said, voice surprisingly calm for the subject matter at hand. “Can’t you feel it, Luke?”

“Feel what?”

Calum let out a huff of air against Luke’s chest, “You guys are so fuckin’ loud, you know that?”

Ashton was glued to Calum’s back in a moment, large hands running over his bare sides in a form of apology.

“Sorry, Cal,” Luke whispered. “‘S Ashton’s fault.”

“I know,” Calum said. “It usually is.”

“Okay, you know-” Ashton started but Calum shushed him.

“Not now. Sleep.”

Ashton looked like he wanted to say more, and Luke knew that he would eventually probably say more, but for now he was content to curl up around Calum, to reach across him and rest his fingertips on Mikey’s back, to tangle his foot with Luke’s, in some vain attempt to protect them all. Luke could feel new vines creeping around his calf and snaking up Ashton’s arm. For now, everything was perfect, and Luke decided he was going to enjoy it as long as it lasted.

 

“You can do it, Ash. You’re almost there,” Luke said from where he was sitting on Echo’s couch, watching Ashton and Calum stare each other down from opposite sides of her living room.

“He’s right,” Echo said. “You’ve gotten a lot better at controlling your powers. Soon you won’t even have to think about it.” 

“Don’t get my hopes up,” Ashton muttered and hopped up and down where he was standing. “This shit is hard.”

Ashton had been learning how to control his newly acquired green thumb and subsequent plant problem for the past few weeks. With Echo’s helping hand and a whole lot of encouragement from the boys, Luke had watched Ashton go from sprouting a full on garden every time Calum brushed his hand to only dropping a few petals. It was slow going, and Luke could tell Ashton was impatient, but it was progress nonetheless.

“Alright, let’s do this shit,” Calum said. “I’m gonna hug you now. Prepare yourself.”

Luke could see the muscles in Ashton’s jaw flex as he steeled himself, arms open wide to receive Calum.

“Bring it on, bitch,” he said and Luke and Echo tried to stifle their giggles as Calum stomped across the room and wrapped his arms around Ashton. Ashton looked almost red in the face as he let Calum squeeze him.

“Fuck,” he said. Down the hall Luke could hear the front door open and shut. Michael was back from work.

“Hey guys,” he said as he walked into Echo’s living room and plopped down on the sofa next to Luke, rubbing himself against him like a cat. “How’s Ash?”

“Good,” Echo said while Luke stretched to wrap an arm around Michael’s shoulders. “It’s been a solid fifteen seconds and I’ve yet to see any foliage.” Ashton grunted in effort while the rest of the group looked on. 

“You’re doing great, sweetie,” Michael called and continued to snuggle into Luke’s side. He could hear Calum giggle behind Ashton’s neck. The group watched as Ashton continued to hold Calum without blooming. It lasted all of ten seconds before Ashton let out a yelp and shoved Calum away from him as a large rose unfurled over his shoulder.

“You dick!” Ashton bat at the rose and pointed an accusatory finger at Calum. “Kisses are off limits and you know it.”

“Yeah, Cal,” Luke said. “You know Ashton has a thing for hickeys. Try to lay off the neck kissing, kay?”

While Calum looked pleased with himself Ashton just looked more frustrated than before. “Fuck both of you,” he said, and though he sounded irritated, there was no real malice in his words. “I give up. I’m only ever gonna kiss Michael in public. You two don’t deserve my efforts.”

“Dope,” Michael said. Echo laughed.

“Come on, Ashton,” she said. “A couple more practices for today and then you four can go home.” She glanced over at where Michael was slowly inching closer to Luke so that he was almost in the siren’s lap. Luke winked at her over Michael’s shoulder. “Then again,” Echo said, “maybe just one more practice round. Any more than that and these two are gonna start fucking on my couch.”

Calum was respectful enough to not surprise Ashton with kisses so that he managed to hold off his blooms for a record six minutes. He seemed relatively pleased with himself by the time the four boys left Echo’s apartment, and his mood was much improved by the time they all reached Luke’s place. By the time dinner was over and done with, Luke had a lapful of Ashton while they waited for Michael and Calum to get out of the shower. He was all soft curls and petals in Luke’s arms while the two lounged on the couch.

“You did really good today, Ash,” Luke spoke, his lips moving against Ashton’s forehead. “Just a few more weeks now and you’ll be a pro.”

“Yeah,” Ashton sighed. “I can’t wait for that.”

“Me neither,” Luke said, and brushed a hand through Ashton’s curls. “Though I will miss seeing your flowers all the time.” Luke watched as they grew in between his fingers and tangled with Ashton’s hair. “They’re cute.”

“You’ll still see them around,” Ashton said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Like, when?” Luke asked, and Ashton turned his head to look up at him.

“You know when you sexual fiend,” he said and Luke laughed.

“Maybe I need some reminding,” he said, and reached to grab Ashton’s ass through his boxers. 

“Yeah?” Ashton’s voice hitched.

“Yeah,” Luke said and huffed out a laugh when Ashton shifted to grind against his crotch.

Luke wanted to laugh at the look on Michael and Calum’s faces when they came into the living room only fifteen minutes later, their lips swollen and hair still wet from the shower. He wanted to laugh, but all he could manage was a triumphant smirk as Ashton bounced up and down on top of him.

“Holy shit,” Calum said. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Michael asked. “Ashton never bottoms, you lucky bastard.” He glared at Luke. If Calum was jealous before, he certainly wasn’t now as Luke upped his charm, gold glitter flashing in the low light of his apartment as Ashton let out a sinful moan and dove forward to lick a stripe up Luke’s bare chest.

“Shit,” Calum said, clearly affected by Luke’s magic, and Luke raised an eyebrow at Michael.

“C’mon, Mike,” he said. “Lighten up, have a little fun.” Calum was halfway across the room when Michael groaned and followed him to the couch, tripping over vines and branches on the way as more and more flowers fell from Ashton’s shoulders.

“More charm please,” Ashton panted and stopped bouncing to rotate his hips in small circles on Luke’s cock. “Feels good,” he said and threw his head back against Michael who was now standing behind him. 

“You’re out of control, Hemmings,” Michael said as the shine surrounding Luke seemed to intensify. 

Luke smiled wickedly. “You wish,” he said and reached out to grab Ashton’s hips, setting a grueling pace for the other boy as he started to bounce up and down once more. Luke could feel his power and energy expanding, filling up the entire room till Calum and Ashton were reduced to whimpering messes. Despite Michael’s imperviousness to his powers, Luke could still see the lust in his eyes, and he reveled in it. Out of control? No. In a situation like this Luke thrived. With glitter on his cheekbones and power coursing through his veins, he was more in control than ever.  

 

“Hey Cal,” Luke had his phone cradled in between his ear and his shoulder as he chopped through some cilantro. “What’s up?”

“Luke,” Calum’s voice was a bit grainy through the phone. “Coach just told us that practice is gonna run late tonight.”

“Ah,” Luke said. “Late for dinner then?” He could hear footsteps behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Ashton peering into the simmering pot on the stove.

“Yes,” Calum grunted. “Save me some food?”

“Of course,” Luke said. 

“That Calum?” Ashton suddenly interrupted him, crowding into his space by the kitchen counter. Luke nodded. “We’re supposed to head over to Echo’s place after dinner for practice.” 

“You hear that, Cal?” Luke asked. Calum groaned.

“Yeah. Damn,” he cursed. “I can meet you guys there after practice.”

“I’ll bring a bento box,” Luke said and Ashton giggled beside him. 

“You and your bento boxes,” Ashton teased. Luke rolled his eyes.

“Thanks Luke,” Calum said, and then, “I should go. I’ve got plays to run through.”

“Alright,” Luke said. “See you later. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Calum said. “And you too, Ash.”

“Love you, Cal,” Ashton craned his neck to talk into the receiver before Luke let the phone drop from his shoulder to his hand and ended the call. “Need any help?” Ashton gestured to the messy kitchen around them. Luke pointed to a pile of bell peppers nearby with his knife and Ashton got to work.

Michael and Ashton were washing dishes while Luke organized the leftovers from their meal into a bento box for Calum was his phone rang in the other room. Luke put the bento box down on the counter and moved to exit the kitchen, slapping Michael’s ass on the way out and earning a surprised yelp in return. Luke slid into the living room and picked his phone up from the coffee table, Calum’s name flashing across the screen.

“Done with practice already?” Luke asked as soon as he answered. Michael had followed him into the living room and was batting at his legs with a kitchen towel while Luke jumped back and forth, phone pressed to his ear.

“Luke,” Calum sounded short of breath. “You guys need to get here now.”

“Woah, babe,” Luke said, reaching out to try and snatch the towel out of Michael’s hands and stop the assault. “What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“I’m at Echo’s,” Calum’s voice shook. “I just got here. Her place is fucking trashed. There’s-” Luke could hear Calum choke on his words, “there’s blood everywhere and I can’t find Echo and-” 

Michael stopped batting at Luke’s legs when he saw the look on his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, but Luke was already in action mode, storming into the kitchen and tugging at the back of Ashton’s shirt to get his attention. 

“We’ll be there soon,” Luke said. “Five minutes. Okay? Are you in her apartment?”

“Yeah,” Calum said, and Luke could hear what sounded like the crunch of broken glass under boots. “Her bedroom door is closed,” he said.

“Calum,” Luke said and then snapped his fingers at Michael and Ashton. “Car now,” he told them, though it was needless. Ashton and Michael had already shoved shoes onto their feet and Ashton had his wallet and keys in hand as he rushed for the front door. Michael and Luke were quick to follow. “Calum,” Luke said again, “don’t. Don’t touch anything, don’t go in her room. Just wait outside, okay?”

“But,” Calum said, “I think I hear her in there.” Luke’s heart pounded against his ribs as he and the other boys rushed out of his apartment building, forgoing the elevator to sprint down the stairs and rush towards Ashton’s car. Luke could hear Calum calling out for Echo over the phone.

“Cal!” Luke shouted and Ashton started the car. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

Calum didn’t answer, and if Luke couldn’t hear him still calling for Echo, he’d think he hung up. A soft thud could be heard through the phone, and Luke wondered if Calum was trying to open Echo’s door.

“Calum, stop!” Luke shouted and wished more than ever that he could lace his voice with his charm, anything to stop Calum from getting himself hurt, or worse. 

Luke ripped the phone away from his ear when a loud bang sounded through the receiver followed by a high pitched whistle. Luke cursed and waited for the whine to subside while Michael watched him with fear in his eyes and Ashton’s foot pressed the gas pedal to the floor. They were already getting close to Echo’s street with Ashton’s frenzied driving, and Luke was back to speaking frantically into his phone.

“Calum? Cal? Cal, are you okay?”

“Luke,” he heard his voice, weak and distant, before there was a crackle and just a dial tone on the other end. 

“Fuck.” Luke dialed Calum’s number and called him back. There was no answer. He called again and again, three more times before Ashton finally pulled into Echo’s apartment complex. Luke was out of the car before it came to a full stop, and he could hear Michael and Ashton rushing after him as he sprinted down the hallway to Echo’s door. It was wide open and Luke thought he could see smoke rising from somewhere inside. 

“You two stay outside,” Luke said to Ashton and Michael. 

“Fuck no,” Ashton protested. “I’m going in with you. I’ve got powers.”

“Ash,” Luke turned to look at him, “Stay here.” Glitter flashed bright on his cheekbones and Ashton sunk to his knees, completely subdued by Luke’s charm as he nodded up at him in awe.

“That’s fucked, dude,” Michael scowled. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Stay here,” Luke said and headed for the door. He pulled out his phone and pulled up a number before tossing it to Michael. “Call that number- tell ‘em it’s an emergency.”

Michael huffed, but did what he said. With Ashton completely undone by Luke’s charm, someone had to babysit him. Luke knew it was a shitty thing to do, but he left Michael and Ashton out in the hallway as he entered Echo’s apartment.

“Holy shit,” he muttered to himself. Calum wasn’t kidding. There was blood everywhere- some red, and some a terrible pitch black. “Fuck.”

“Calum?” Luke called out. He headed for Echo’s bedroom. The floor there was stained with more blood, and Luke’s stomach churned at the spatter of it up the walls. “Cal? Where are you?” Echo’s door was still closed, and Luke gathered up whatever power he had thrumming through his veins as he strode forward and gripped the handle, turning the knob and pushing the door open quickly. 

“Cal?” he shouted. Echo’s bedroom was dark, he could hardly see in all of the shadow. He reached blindly for a light switch, his hand sliding along the wall as he continued to call for Calum. He stopped when he felt something thick and warm against his fingertips, his hand quickly jerking away.

“Fuck,” Luke hissed and brought his hand close to his nose, inhaling a strong metallic smell. More blood? His stomach dropped, and Luke reached again for a light switch. He startled at the sound of footsteps behind him and Luke whipped his head around.

“Luke, no!” The person shouted just as Luke flipped the switch. There was a loud bang and Luke felt as though his soul was being ripped away from his body. Echo’s apartment turned into a muddle of colors, the brown carpet and red blood and green walls all swirling together into a shapeless mass that was quickly slipping away, leaving Luke in pitch darkness. Luke tried his best to claw his way back towards the mass of color, away from the pull of the emptiness surrounding him. He kicked his legs and channeled all of his energy into his limbs as he reached for the blur of Echo’s apartment. He wanted to scream so badly but it was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Luke reached desperately, clenching his eyes shut and putting all of his energy into escaping whatever was pulling him towards the unknown. 

His hand brushed against something. It was faint, but it was real, and Luke’s eyes shot open. He could see another hand in front of him, dotted with tattoos and glowing with power as it gradually grew more and more solid. Luke reached out and managed to catch hold of its fingers, and suddenly he was falling forward, a rush of air and wind flying past him before he was tumbling into someone’s arms, a strangled cry finally managing to rip away from his lungs as he collapsed on top of someone. Luke coughed and sputtered and tried to catch his breath as tears rolled down his face and he clutched onto his savior.

“There, there,” the person said and Luke could feel a hand card through this long hair. “You’re okay.” Luke looked up and his blue eyes met green. 

“Harry,” he said. “What-” he coughed and Harry shushed him.

“Rest a second,” he told him. “That’s some nasty shit you got yourself into Hemmings. Fae magic? That stuff’ll kill you.”

“Calum,” Luke croaked and new, hot tears rolled down his tears. “God, Calum-”

“Hey,” Harry said, “It’s gonna be okay, okay? Just, hold on.” Luke shuddered in Harry’s arms as he felt the air around them bend and suddenly they were out in the hallway and Michael and Ashton were staring down at him with looks of terrors engrained on their faces.

“Luke,” Michael fell to his knees and crawled close to him. Ashton sat white faced against the opposite wall and Luke could see him staring at the blood that still stained his hands. Luke wiped it off against his jeans while Michael reached forward and cupped his face gently. 

“What happened?” Ashton’s voice was cold, distant. It sounded too much like that terrible darkness that had tried to swallow Luke whole. “Where’s Calum?”

“I-” Luke started to say until a sob forced its way out of his throat. 

Calum was gone.

“Hey,” Harry spoke softly. “I told you, it’s gonna be okay.” He pat Luke’s thigh and eased him off of his lap and into Michael’s arms slowly. 

“Who are you?” Ashton asked, and Luke had to close his eyes at the sound of Ashton’s voice. He sounded so angry, desperate, _ sad.  _

“Harry,” the man reached across the hall and shook Ashton’s hand. “I’m Luke’s friend from summer camp.”

“Summer camp?” Ashton asked incredulously.

“Camp Frig,” Luke said, his voice squeaky around his tears, “for specially gifted children.”

“What, are you another siren or something?” Ashton asked. Luke tried to make himself as small as possible in Michael’s arms, revelling in the older boys touches. 

“Or something,” Harry replied. “I’m a witch.”

“Great,” Ashton muttered. Luke shuddered. He’d used so much of his power when he’d grabbed Harry’s hand. He felt weak lying in Michael’s arms, and Ashton’s hostile tone made his skin prickle like he had a sunburn. He’d never been so susceptible to negative energy before- Luke’s mind was spinning and his head lolled against Michael’s chest. A warm hand cupped the back of his neck, and he could hear Harry hum beside him.

“We need to go,” he announced. “Luke’s not well. And we’re not safe here. Especially you.” Luke cracked open his eyes and saw Harry was speaking to Ashton, eyeing the bite mark on his neck like it was a dangerous animal. “I’ll whisk us back to my place.”

“You’ll wha-” Ashton’s question ended in a shriek as the air bent around them once more and suddenly the four boys were sitting in the middle of a silky soft rug, surrounded by foreign walls and furniture. There was a woodstove in the corner filling the little room with warmth, and the walls around them were wooden, like the inside of Calum’s parents summer cabin. Luke ran his fingers along the soft carpet and tried not to cry as he lay draped over Michael.

“What the fuck was that?” Ashton asked, huddled in a ball on the floor while Harry stood and ran a hand through his hair.

“Magic,” he said simply before turning and heading towards a door on the opposite end of the room. He opened it and stepped into what looked like a bedroom.

“Hello dear,” he smiled at whoever was inside. “Would you mind doing me a favor?”

Luke tried to keep his eyes open, tried to stay conscious, but with the weight of Echo and Calum’s disappearance, Ashton’s anger, and the haunting darkness that’d almost taken him alive, he could feel his eyes start to slip shut as his body grew heavier and heavier in Michael's arms. Luke slipped away so quickly, he barely heard Michael’s panicked gasp or felt the shaking of his shoulders as he finally lost consciousness.

 

“He still looks pale.”

“Yes, well, he did almost get sucked into another dimension.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s what was happening in there while Mike and I were sitting ducks out in the hallway?”

“Ash-” That was Michael trying to console Ashton, and Luke wanted to open his eyes so badly, because he never thought he’d see the day when this would be going on. When Ashton would be losing his cool so badly that Michael would have to give a fuck about it- Michael. Mr. Laid-Back himself.

“He’s awake,” Harry’s voice was familiar and deep and Luke assumed those were his fingers brushing against the skin under his eyes. “Open your eyes, Luke. It’s time to wake up.”

“Head hurts,” Luke muttered, barely opening his eyes against the warm glow of the woodstove. Harry’s face was hovering above his own, concentrated as he assessed Luke’s physical condition.

“Lou?” Luke got a nice view of the underside of Harry’s chin as the witch looked up. “Could you grab me the rosemary please? And a sprig of lavender? And-”

“I’ve already grabbed the peppermint you knob,” a high pitched voice said. “As if this is the first time I’ve played nurse to your doctor.”

“Thanks,” Harry reached past Luke and accepted the little jars of herbs. 

“Is that your infamous Louis?” Luke asked. He’d heard Harry talk about the boy for years now, but he’d never gotten the chance to meet him. 

“The one and only,” Louis confirmed, and Luke couldn’t help the ache in his chest when he saw Harry’s fond smile. His head was still pillowed on Michael’s thighs while Harry mixed the ingredients he’s asked for together and dipped his finger into the concoction. “Must say it’s cool to finally meet you,” Louis continued. “I’ve never met a siren before. Not as much sexual pull as I was expecting, still quite fit though.”

Luke felt long fingers curl around his ankle accompanied by soft petals.  _ Ashton. _

“Are you almost done?” Ash asked Harry. The witch was painting shapes acros Luke’s forehead and cheeks and muttering quietly. Luke could feel some of the dark energy from earlier start to wean away, and his chest felt significantly lighter when Harry finally finished his incantation, pressing his lips to Luke’s forehead before sitting back on his heels.

“There,” Harry said. “Give it an hour to let your magic mellow out before you try using it again and you should be okay.”

“An hour?” Luke could feel panic sliding up his ribs and wrapping itself around his heart. “But Calum-”

“An hour.” Harry’s voice was stern. “Or you’ll pass out again. Then you won’t be of any help to anyone.”

“What do we do in the meantime?” Ashton asked. His grip around Luke’s ankle tightened and a new rose unfurled. “Michael and I- we could go out and look for Cal and Echo. I’ve got some magic.”

“Absolutely not,” Luke shot Ashton a look. 

“Luke,” Michael’s voice was gentle. “Ash has a point. We could go back to Echo’s place and try and find clues or something. It’s better than sitting around here-”

“You will not go back to Echo’s apartment,” Luke said. “It’s too dangerous for you.”

“He’s right,” Harry said. “It’s too dangerous for all of us. That place is buzzing with fae magic. That stuff will eat you alive.”

“Then how the fuck are we supposed to find them?” Ashton was angry, Luke could hear his frustration bubbling up around the edges of his words. “They could be hurt- hell they probably are! I saw the blood on Luke’s fingers, those fucking faerie scum-”

“You’re one to talk, halfling,” Louis interrupted him. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ashton asked, and the vines wrapping around Luke’s ankle were starting to bite into his skin.

“You’ve got fae magic running through your blood like crazy,” Louis said. “I could smell it the moment you whisked in here.”

Ashton opened his mouth and narrowed his eyes. “I’m not one of them,” his voice was dangerous. Luke could feel thorns scraping against his skin as Ashton dug his fingernails into his leg. “I’m not some monster.”

“Better watch your mouth, kid,” Louis said. “We’re not all the monsters you make us out to be.”

“What?” Ashton sputtered and his eyes widened in realization before he glared at Louis. “You-”

“Ash,” Luke squeaked. “You’re hurting me- let go.”

The roses that usually grew from Ashton’s hands had sprouted long, dark thorns that’d dug themselves into Luke’s skin so that there was a trickle of blood running down Luke’s ankle. Michael gasped and reached forward to rip Ashton’s hand off of Luke’s leg before he gently pulled the thorns from Luke’s legs, muttering apologies as Luke winced. 

“Luke,” Ashton said, his voice the smallest it’d been since this entire ordeal had started. “I- sorry. I didn’t realize, I’m sorry.” He reached out like to touch, to run his hand over Luke’s arm in apology, but stopped before his fingers made contact, fear in his eyes. “‘M sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Luke said, and let his head roll back against Michael’s thighs. From this angle he could see Louis looking down at the situation, a grim expression on his face.

“Ash had a run in with the fae,” he said. “Messed him up bad, gave him weird plant powers. We’re still trying to figure it out.” 

Louis hummed in response, and looked up at Ashton. He eyed the silver scar on boy’s neck warily. 

“We’re not all bad,” he said after a moment of silence.

“I’m sorry,” Ashton said. He looked up from Luke’s bloody ankle and met Louis’ eyes. The faerie held his gaze for a moment before nodding.

“Right. Well,” he looked down at Harry. “You ready to whisk me away, my love?”

“Yep,” Harry said and stood from the soft carpet. He slung an arm around Louis’ waist and turned to face the three boys still huddled on the floor.

“This’ll just be a moment, lads,” he said, and then he was gone.

“Where’d he go?” Michael asked.

“Back to Echo’s,” Luke said. “Fae magic might be dangerous for us, but it’s familiar for Louis. He’ll look around the place for us.”

“Thank god,” Michael muttered and fell back till his was lying on the floor. “Someone’s doing something.”

“I-” Ashton stuttered. Luke lifted his head from Michael’s lap and propped himself up on his elbows to look at him. 

“It’s okay, Ash.” Luke said. 

“I’m sorry,” Ashton said again. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. “I’m not coping well.” When he opened his eyes again Luke could see they were shiny with tears. “I’m afraid. For Cal. And for Echo.”

“Me too,” Luke said. He sat up propper and reached for Ashton. The other boy jerked away from his touch. 

“No. I might hurt you,” he said.

“You won’t,” Luke said, and wrapped a hand around Ashton’s bicep. Purple hyacinth started to bloom, a shock of color against Ashton’s skin. “Come here, darling.” He pulled Ashton towards him so he could wrap his arms around the other boy. 

“It’s okay to be afraid,” he whispered against Ashton’s hair. “As long as we’re brave too. And we are. You are.” 

Michael rolled across the floor so he could sling an arm across Ashton and Luke’s legs. The three clung to each other and listened to the crackling wood in the stove. They had nothing to do but wait till Louis and Harry returned, till Luke’s magic finally healed, till they could finally go out and find Cal. Because as lovely as their little cuddle was, it felt painfully incomplete without having Calum wrapped in their arms as well. 

 

Luke’s magic was almost completely back to normal by the time Harry and Louis got back from Echo’s place. One moment the three boys were anxiously waiting on the living room floor, and the next Harry and Louis were standing in front of them. There was blood on Louis’ jeans and grim looks on both of their faces, and Luke felt terror seize his heart. He stood up from the floor and wrung his hands together.

“Did you find anything?” he asked. Michael and Ashton stood up next to him, Michael reaching out to grip one of Luke’s hands while he held Ashton’s tightly with his other. Louis nodded.

“It’s definitely fae magic,” he said. “The house was set with traps all over the place. Took me a bit to dismantle them, but I got it done.”

“What kind of traps?” Michael asked.

“The kind that’ll pull you into the fae realm,” Louis said. Traps you in emptiness till your captors come and get you. The council banned that shit years ago- it’s fucking dangerous, even for faeries. Almost got sucked into a void a couple times there. Lucky Harry was there,” Louis looked seriously at the witch beside him, “otherwise I might’ve gotten trapped.”

“So, Calum and Echo are trapped somewhere?” Ashton asked.

“That seems like the most likely reality,” Louis said. “Although, judging by the blood everywhere-” Harry elbowed his side and Louis winced, “sorry. Judging by the,” Louis paused to look for a word, “signs of struggle, I think you witch friend probably put up a pretty good fight before she was thrown into a trap.”

“Shit,” Luke said, and his grip on Michael’s hand tightened. “Do you know where they might have ended up?”

“Sure,” Louis said. “Probably in the Gray somewhere. Council usually ignores that area of the realm. You could get away with trapping outsiders there.”

Luke nodded. “I know where that is.” He turned to look at Harry. “Could you whisk us there?”

“Sorry, mate,” Harry said. “Not powerful enough to realm hop. You’ll have to go the old fashioned way.”

Luke wrinkled his nose. Michael and Ashton watched with curious expressions.

“We’ll have to open a portal,” Luke said, turning to look at them. “Requires us to sacrifice some of our energy to get through. A little bit of blood should do.” He frowned. “I just don’t like the idea of our essence being tied to the fae realm. It makes us targets for trouble.”

“No offence,” Louis spoke up, “but it seems like you guys already are targets.” He looked at Ashton. “How long ago did you get attacked?”

“A couple months ago,” Ashton reached up to scratch the scar on his neck. “Echo gave me some heather and stuff. For protection. She said everything would be fine.”

Everyone was quiet, standing in the living room and looking at each other with sad expression because Echo had been wrong. Everything was not fine. Luke let out a long sigh.

“Would you help us?” he asked Louis. “Would you go with us and help us find them?”

“I’ll do my best,” Louis said. “Any friend of Harry’s is a friend of mine. I’ll go with you.”

“Thank you,” Luke’s smile was sincere, and he could hear Michael let out a sigh of relief next to him- clearly he wasn’t the only one feeling nervous about crossing into the faerie realm. 

“I’ll have to stay behind,” Harry said. “Fae magic is too greedy for witches to safely walk around the realm, especially in the Gray. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Luke said. “You’ve already helped so much, Haz.” 

“I’ll have tea ready for you when you get back,” Harry promised. “And whatever else your friends might need.”

Luke nodded grimly. He hoped Echo and Calum wouldn’t need anything besides a warm cup of tea and some rest to recover from whatever had happened to them. He hoped they were okay. He hoped that this terrible nightmare would end soon.

“When can we leave?” Michael asked.

“Give me five minutes,” Louis said. “I’ll grab what we need and then we can head out.” He turned to look up at Harry. “A word, my love?”

“Of course,” Harry said. He brushed the hair out of Louis eyes and followed him into the other room leaving the three boys alone again.

“”Luke, Michael,” Ashton said and the two boys turned to look at him. “I-” he cleared his throat. “I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I just-” he looked down at his feet, “I want to tell you both,” he looked back up at them, “I love you. I love you, I love you,” he said, one of his hands coming up to clutch at his chest. 

“Ash,” Michael’s voice sounded broken as he lunged forward and collected the older boy into his arms. “I love you too. It’s gonna be okay,” he said. “We’re gonna get Cal back. Echo too.”

“Yeah,” Luke said, and wrapped his long arms around the both of them. “I love you,” he whispered into the space between them. 

“Let’s be brave,” Ashton’s voice was quiet, but he sounded determined nonetheless.

“Yes,” Luke agreed. “Courage, my darlings.”

“Courage,” Michael agreed. The three boys held each other for a moment longer before Louis and Harry strode back into the room, arms heaped with supplies and what looked like weapons.

“Ready?” Louis asked as they stepped apart from one another. Luke felt pride unfurl in his chest as Ashton nodded and stepped forward. 

“Ready.”

 

The ritual to get to the faerie realm was simple enough. After dispersing backpacks and daggers among their little rescue party, Louis and Harry led the boys outside of their little home. It turned out that the home was more like a cottage- old and quaint and exactly the kind of place that Luke always pictured Harry living in. The cottage was in the middle of a little stretch of woods, and Luke took the opportunity to breathe in the scent of forest air, let the smell of clean air and trees clear his senses before he crossed dimensions. Louis led the group to a ring of mushrooms in between a cluster of firs and directed each boy to stand around it.

“Don’t step inside just yet,” he told them. “We don’t want an accident on our hands.”

“Are we seriously going to step into a faerie circle?” Michael asked. “I used to go looking for these when I was a kid.”

“Ever find any?” Louis asked.

“No.”

“That’s for the best,” Louis said. “Faerie circles are as unpredictable as the fae.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a long, black dagger. “They’ll leave you alone just as soon as they’ll pull you in.”

Louis stepped back from the circle and turned to face Harry.

“Hurry back, my love,” Harry said and smiled bashfully when Louis leaned forward to kiss him.

“Always,” Louis said and turned back to where Michael, Ashton, and Luke stood around the circle. “Hands in, boys.”

The three extended their hands over the circle, still not stepping inside. Louis was quick with the dagger as he slid it across their open palms. Their blood dropped into the center, and Luke watched as it transformed as it tangled with the veil that was dividing their world from the fae’s. His own turned gold before it even touched the ground while Ashton’s blood solidified into dark red rose petals that drifted through the air. Michael’s hit the ground and disappeared, steam rising in its wake. Luke eyed it curiously, unsure of how Michael’s essence was interacting with that of the fae. Louis seemed relatively calm, and Luke held onto the stoic attitude he was projecting as he pocketed the dagger and thrust his own hand into the center of the circle.

“Right, grab my hand,” he instructed, and the boys gripped Louis arm as best they could. “We step in together- on three. One, two, three.”

They stepped into the circle and the earth dropped from beneath them. Luke’s stomach felt as though it was left behind and the wind roared in his ears as he fell through the veil, clinging tightly to Louis’ arm and clenching his eyes shut.

For the speed at which it felt they were falling, Luke’s feet hit the ground and he found himself without injury. He stumbled a bit into Michael’s side as he gained his balance, but as soon as he opened his eyes Luke could see the ritual had been a success. 

“Holy shit,” Ashton said at the same time as Michael muttered, “fuck,” under his breath. Luke agreed. 

They were in a wooded area in the middle of a faerie circle identical to the one behind Harry and Louis’ cottage, but the trees around them looked dead. They were void of all leaves and their trunks looked grey, some blackened with scorch marks. The sky above them was a disgusting yellow-grey that cast the forest around them in a sickly haze. The air no longer smelled like fresh fir trees and pine, but of wet, rotting wood and mud. Luke wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“Gross,” he said and let go of Louis’ arm, stepping outside of the circle. 

“Indeed,” Louis said as he reached down to brush some dust off his jeans. “I try to avoid the Grey as much as possible. It’s certainly not the nicest part of town.”

“Cal’s somewhere here?” Ashton asked, worrying his lip between his teeth. Though he’d let go of Louis’ arm, he had his hand wrapped tightly around Michael’s. 

“Yep,” Louis said, turning around in a circle and eyeing the forest around them. “We’re looking for some dark magic- I’m talking some nasty shit. Smelled kinda like death.”

“Everything kinda smells like death,” Michael said and frowned. Ashton looked up at the sky above them, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply.

“It does,” he said, eyes still closed, and then, “but there’s something else.”

“Yes,” Louis agreed. “He’s right. I think it’s,” Louis squinted through the trees, “that way.”

Luke and Michael, unable to smell whatever it was that the other two did, followed blindly as Ashton and Louis led the way, occasionally stopping and talking quietly among themselves to confirm that they were headed in the right direction.

“How is it that I can sense it?” Ashton asked as they stomped through the wood. 

“The magic?” Louis asked. “It’s a fae thing. I told you, you’ve got fae magic in your blood. I could smell it. Or sense it. Whatever you wanna call it.” Louis let out a little laugh. “Harry always joked that it’s like being a bloodhound for magic. The fae feed on energy- we’re sensitive to how it tastes and smells.”

“Oh,” Ashton said. “I never noticed it before. Does all magic have a smell and I just never caught on.”

“It does,” Louis said, “but you’re not a faerie. You can probably only smell the really strong stuff. Plus, I’m sure if you thought back you’d realize that you’ve been sensing magic ever since the bite.”

“Why didn’t Echo tell him any of that stuff?” Michael asked, having to raise his voice a bit as Louis was a few steps ahead.

“She probably didn’t know,” Louis said with a shrug. “If you never noticed anything different then how would she?”

In between the various twists and turns through the forest Ashton asked Louis more questions about faerie magic, and Luke thought that if it wasn’t for the terrible circumstances, that he would be really grateful for their conversation. Despite their rocky beginning, Ashton and Louis seemed to be getting along quite well as they worked together to find the source of the dark magic that had taken Calum.

“I think we’re almost there,” Louis said. “It smells fucking awful, I almost can’t stand it.”

Ashton nodded in agreement, and Luke noticed that he’d pulled his shirt over his nose to cover awful smell. Though he couldn’t taste the magic in the air like Ashton and Louis could, Luke could still sense it. It sent goosebumps up his arms while at the same time making him want to recoil as if he’d touched something hot. Though Luke couldn’t smell it, he could feel it.

The boys crashed through a particularly thick area of the wood and Louis suddenly stopped, the others bumping into him as they were forced to a stand still as well.

“Fuck,” Louis said, and Luke agreed.

There was a hole in the ground, dark and ominous and ringing with dark magic so strong that Luke could feel it in his stomach, so much that it made him want to vomit.

“Shit, that’s awful,” he grunted and pressed a hand against his abdomen. “You think they’re down there?”

“No doubt,” Louis said. “This is just like the stuff I sensed in the witch’s apartment.” He gagged, “God, it’s bad.”

Michael, the only one unaffected by the dark energy, stepped around the huddle of boys and crept closer to the hole, leaning over the edge and looking inside.

“Looks like just a little drop and then there’s a tunnel,” he said and turned to look back at the group. “We going or what?”

“Come on, guys,” Ashton said, shirt still pulled up over his nose as he staggered after Michael. Louis followed suit, tucking his nose in the crook of his elbow as he followed while Luke continued to clutch his abdomen.

“Louis should go first,” Luke said, but Michael shook his head.

“No offence or anything,” he said, “but you guys look like you’re about to puke. I’ll go first, you guys follow, and if anything shitty happens just pull it together and rescue me, kay?”

“Great plan,” Louis spoke before Luke could say anything, and Luke wondered if Louis really was about to throw up. “Let’s go, boys.”

Michael sat down at the edge of the hole before lowering himself down. Luke watched with a worried expression on his face, the negative energy punching at his gut as he waited for Louis and Ashton to descend before he took up the rear. 

“Shit, it’s dark,” Ashton muttered ahead of him. Louis pulled a flashlight from his backpack and handed it to Michael, letting him lead the way.

“Seriously,” Michael asked. “A flashlight? You’re a magical faerie and the best you can do with a light source is a flashlight?”

“Shut up,” Louis said. “I’m saving my energy.”

“Sure,” Michael said, and Luke could just picture him rolling his eyes as he crept forward, flashlight in hand, through the dark. 

Conversation ceased at the four boys walked through the tunnel, crouched over so their heads wouldn’t hit the ceiling. The pull of the dark magic intensified the longer they walked, the only person unaffected by it being Michael. He charged forward bravely, keeping a fast pace so that Luke hardly had any time to think about the terribly energy closing in all around him.

They’d been rushing through the tunnels for twenty minutes when Michael suddenly stopped.

“I heard something,” he said, and the rescue group settled down and listened intently. There was a faint echo bouncing off the walls of the tunnels. It was tiny, so quiet, almost indercinable, but Luke knew exactly what it was without a shadow of a doubt. 

“Calum,” he whispered, and he could feel Ashton’s hand against his in the dark, long fingers tangling together as he squeezed his hand tightly.

“He’s singing,” Ashton said, voice hushed and there was another moment of stillness before the four burst into action, jogging hunched over towards the sound of Calum’s voice. Ashton’s kept a firm grip on Luke’s hand as they grew nearer and nearer, the singing getting louder with each step they took.

“Is that the Bee Gees?” Luke whispered, and he could hear Michael snort ahead of them.

“That asshole is singing ‘Stayin’ Alive’. Holy shit,” he muttered. Ashton didn’t say anything, only squeezed Luke’s fingers tighter. 

“Stop, stop, stop,” Louis chanted in a whisper as a light broke out ahead of them. It was a grey light, something weak and sad and hardly anything to be hopeful about, but Luke hoped nonetheless. “Mike, get behind me,” he said and pushed Michael back towards Ashton and Luke. “We go slow. Luke,” Louis reached for him and Luke squeezed his way past Michael and Ashton so he was right behind Louis. “We’ll go first. Everybody, grab a dagger.”

They riffled through their packs till they all had the knives Harry had disbursed among them. The blades were black as ink, and when Michael turned off the flashlight Luke found the he could hardly see them.

“Let’s go,” Louis whispered, and the four rescuers headed towards the grey light.

Calum hadn’t stopped singing, only switched to a different song- Luke thought it was something by Duran Duran, when they finally rounded a corner and piled to a stop in front of a little room. There was a hole in the ceiling and Luke thought he could see a little bit of sky peaking through. His heart leapt into his throat- an exit.  

More importantly, there, in the middle of the room, was Calum. He sat in the middle of the dirt floor, his clothes caked in mud, as he leaned over what looked to be a very beat up Echo. He ran his fingers through her hair as he sang, pushing the unruly pieces away from her forehead as she lay, her clothes equally as muddy, and also covered in what looked like blood. Luke’s eyes scanned Calum’s body for any injuries, and he felt red hot rage rip through him at the splotched of blood staining his shirt collar.

“I’ll fucking kill them,” he seethed, and Louis reached over to grab his hand.

“Later,” he said. “First we need to get them out. I don’t sense any fae around, but that doesn’t mean they’re not-”

“Ashton, you fucking idiot,” Michael hissed as Ashton tumbled out from between them and rushed towards where Calum was sitting. 

“Cal,” Ashton said, and had the good sense to keep his voice down as drew closer. “Calum, we’re here.”

Calum didn’t look up from where he was petting Echo’s hair. He just kept singing and watching her slow inhale and exhale. 

“Cal?” Ashton asked and reached out towards him. Just as his fingers were about to brush Calum’s shoulder a loud bang sounded and Ashton was flung back across the cavern. He landed on his back and immediately curled in on himself, clutching his stomach as he struggled to catch his breath. He’d gotten the wind knocked out of him. The dagger in his hand clattered to the ground as he lay on his side.

“Fuck,” Louis said and rushed forward. Michael and Luke followed, staying close behind him as he huddled over Ashton.

“You okay, kid?” he asked and Ashton groaned.

“That fucking hurt,” he said, looking up at Louis with a pained look on his face. “Cal couldn’t hear me.”

Luke looked over to where Calum still sat next to Echo, completely unaware of anything that had just happened. “Is it a trick?” he asked, and Louis grunted.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think it’s a spell. Like the veil that separates the faerie realm from earth, there’s something separating us from Calum.”

“But we can see him,” Michael said.

“Yes,” Louis said. “But we can’t get to him.

Luke sat down in the dirt and looked over at where Calum sat, his shoulders shaking with emotion as he took in the gravity of the situation.

“Fuck,” Michael said. And  _ yes _ , Luke thought.  _ Fuck. _

“What do we do?” he asked and turned to look at Louis. The faerie shrugged.

“I’m not sure. I’m unfamiliar with this kind of magic,” he frowned. “It’s awful, whatever it is. This is what smelled like death in Echo’s apartment.”

Ashton shuddered on the ground, and Luke nodded. He could feel the press of dark magic around them- he knew it just as well as Louis did. This stuff was toxic, it was powerful, and it wanted to consume them.

Michael stood to his full height and walked closer to Calum. He circled the space where Calum and Echo were sprawled out on the ground, humming as he did so. Calum had stopped singing, and was just petting at Echo’s hair. 

“Cal?” Michael asked. “Can you hear me?”

He called his name as he walked circles around him, acting as if there was bad reception, and if they could just get the right angle, Calum would suddenly be able to hear them.

He didn’t.

 

The four rescuers sat in the cavern for a while. They tried throwing the fruit snacks Harry had packed for them at Calum, but they only bounced off the veil. Louis tried his hand at unravelling some the spell but almost passed out, and when Michael suggested that he try and run through the veil Ashton smacked him on the back of the head. They sat for what felt like hours, brainstorming and trying new things till the boys looked as though they were completely without hope.

They were silent, watching Calum and Echo in misery until the worst happened.

Calum started crying.

From where the four sat watching they could see that Echo was asleep. Her eyes were closed, and Calum had long since stopped brushing her hair in favor of lying on the ground next to her. He lay curled up there for only a moment before his shoulders started to shake, tears falling from his cheeks onto the floor as he wept. Luke could see that he tried to contain himself, could see it in the way he bit down on his knuckles and in the way he hiccupped through his sobs. Beside him Luke could hear Ashton start to sniffle and feel Michael’s shoulders shake too. Tears welled up in his own eyes and suddenly Luke was so heartbroken, so desperate, so mind numbingly furious that he could feel his own magic start to swirl in his chest, moving in a way that was uncomfortable, foreign, unlike anything he’d ever felt before. 

“Calum,” he called, and his voice was loud and clear- a sound so sweet and beautiful that it could lure men to their deaths with just a single note.

It was his siren song, and it demanded to be heard. 

Calum raised his head from where he lay and looked around frantically. He couldn’t see them, but, Luke thought, he could hear them. 

“Calum,” he called again. Michael held Louis and Ashton close, doing his best to keep them at bay as Luke let his magic unfurl to its fullest potential for the first time in his life. “Calum.”

“Luke?” Calum asked, his voice hardly a whisper, thick with tears as he rose to his feet and whirled around in a circle. “Luke? I can’t see you. I can’t see anything.” His voice cracked and Luke stood from where he sat, walking closer to wear the veil separated him from Calum. 

“I’m right here, Cal,” Luke said. “Michael and Ashton are here too. We can see you- you’re trapped through a veil.”

“I can’t see you,” Calum said. “I can’t see, Luke.”

“Look straight ahead, Cal,” Luke commanded. His voice was as strong as the sea, and Calum did as he said, eyes wide open and staring into nothingness as Luke walked closer towards him.

“Look at me, Calum,” Luke said. 

“I can’t see anything,” Calum said, his voice rising up in a panic. “Luke, where are you?”

“I’m right here,” Luke squared his shoulders so he was standing right in front of the other boy. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Look at me.”

“I-”

“Calum.” From here he could see the damage that’d been done to his boy. He could see the bite marks littering his neck, they matched Ashton’s so perfectly. He could see the blood staining his shirt, the bruises and scratched on his skin. He could see the fear in Calum’s eyes as he stared into the dark, the tear tracks shining on his muddy cheeks. He saw all of it, and he could feel something hot and dangerous spread through his chest. His magic swelled like a wave, expanded throughout the room till it was bigger than Luke himself, pushed at the veil with the force of the sea, with the force of the sirens song. Calum shut his eyes tightly, afraid of the dark, and Luke reached forward, fingers centimeters away from Calum’s bruised cheek.

“Open your eyes.”

The wave pushed through the veil, tearing it to pieces as Calum opened his eyes and gasped at the light that surrounded him, falling forward into Luke’s arms with a sob.

“Luke,” Calum said, his mouth pressed against the skin of Luke’s neck as clutched onto him tightly. “Luke.”

Ashton and Michael were quick to approach, wrapping themselves around Calum while he cried. Luke see Louis tending to Echo, rifling through his pack for some of Harry’s supplies while he checked her pulse. Luke closed his eyes and buried his face in Calum’s curls, a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over him. He’d never used power like that- never even known he had it. 

“We need to go,” Louis said from where he crouched over Echo. “She’s in bad shape.”

“Okay,” Luke said, swaying slightly on his feet. “Okay, let’s go.”

Despite wanting to hold onto Calum forever, Michael and Luke both left him in Ashton’s care as they helped to carry Echo towards the hole in the ceiling of the little room. It took a ridiculous amount of coordination and almost all of the strength Luke had left, but they managed to lift her through the hole in the ceiling, each of them clambering up after her and back out into the grey forest. 

“This way,” Louis said, cradling Echo’s head as the boys rushed through the wood. “There’s another ring around here somewhere.”

The group moved as quickly as they could, jumping with paranoia at every sound they heard. Calum had stopped sobbing, but his breath was still panicked as they worked their way through the trees.

“They were terrible,” he told them as best he could as they ran. “Said we had a debt to pay. They took Echo away for a while. I tried to hit them but they bit me.”

“They’re gone, Cal,” Michael tried to reassure him. “They’re gone.”

“But they’re not,” Calum said, eyes wide and crazed. “I can feel them.” He ran a finger over one of the bite marks. “They’re following us.”

“Fuck,” Louis muttered and picked up the pace. “Those fucking fuckers fuck,  _ fuck! _ ”

Despite the grueling pace they set the sounds of twigs snapping starting to grow louder behind them. At first Luke tried to brush it off, blame it on wild animals or wind or anything that wasn’t a gang of angry faeries, but soon it became too frequent, too loud, too insistent to deny that they were being followed.

“We’re almost there,” Louis said. “I can see it.”

The faerie circle was in sight but Luke knew they wouldn’t get away without some sort of fight. The ritual took too long. Luke shifted more of Echo’s weight into Michael’s arms and stepped away.

“You guys get her and Calum to safety,” he told Louis. “Then come back and get me.”

“Fuck no,” Michael said, and glared at Luke. “We’re going together, come on, Lu-”

“We’ll be back in five,” Louis said, nodding solemnly at Luke. They’d reached the faerie circle, and Louis was pulling his dagger out from its sheath when they heard an angry roar from behind them.

“No!” Michael shouted, but with Echo in his arms he was unable to move as Luke turned back and ran towards the frightening shouts heading towards them. Luke summoned whatever magic was left in him and got ready for a fight. He could hear Louis speaking quickly behind them and hoped desperately that he’d be able to get the group safely back to the cottage. 

The screams around him intensified and Luke knew it was only a matter of moments before the first faerie would break through the trees. He readied himself, standing firm and drawing his dagger out. 

A twig snapped behind him, and Luke whirled around to see Ashton standing, dagger in hand and panting heavily.

“Ash, go,” Luke said. “Watch Cal.”

“You’re fucking crazy if you think I’m gonna leave you alone,” Ashton said, and Luke was about to argue when a loud screech rang through the woods. 

A faerie charged at them, mouth open wide as it displayed rows and rows of sharp teeth. The sound it made was like nails on a chalkboard, and Luke only had a second to duck out of the way of its reeling claws before he turning and drove the dagger into its back.

“Fuck,” Ashton hissed next to him, and Luke turned to see him staring, wide eyed.

“Ash,” Luke tried to tell him to turn back but was interrupted by another screech. He tugged at the dagger still buried in the faerie’s back and whipped around as fast as he could, but he was too slow. Another faerie swiped at him, its claws catching at his neck and drawing blood to the surface even as Luke took a step back.

“Oh, fuck you!” Ashton shouted and charged past Luke, dagger raised as he swung wildly at the faerie who hissed in anger. Ashton didn’t seem to care. He dodged this way and that, dancing around the faerie and trying to get a stab in while it flashed its terrible teeth and reached with fierce claws at whatever part of Ashton it could reach. Luke ran forward to help but was stopped when another faerie ran out from the wood.

“How many of you are there?” Luke asked, rushing at the new enemy. He tried to keep an eye on Ashton but found it difficult. As each faerie that fell, another took its place. Luke could feel his arms getting heavy and his movements sluggish as his strength slowly drained out of him. He was exhausted, and could only hope that Louis would be back soon. 

“Fuck,” he hissed when another clawed hand caught him in the chest, ripping his shirt and staining the fabric with blood. He stumbled backward and barely managed to catch himself before the faerie was on top of him, mouth open wide and ready to bite when it was suddenly hurled back by a thick, thorny vine. The faerie struggled against the branch, but was unsuccessful as new vines shot up from the ground and continued to pin the faerie down. Blood red nasturtium bloomed thick amongst the thorns, and Luke looked wide eyed up at where Ashton was slashing at another faerie, vines rippling around him and tangling the feet of his opponent till the faerie fell and Ashton plunged the dagger into its chest. 

“Holy shit, Ashton,” Luke gasped and Ashton turned to look at where his vines and overcome the struggling faerie, his face spattered with black blood.

“Wow,” he said, and looked at Luke. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

Another screech sounded and Luke groaned, standing up from the ground. He raised his dagger in defense and waited for a new opponent when Louis shouted behind him.

“Come on guys!” he called, and Luke turned to see him standing alone by the faerie circle. “Let’s go!”

Luke reached for Ashton’s hand and pulled him through the woods. A trail of flower petals followed them as Ashton’s vines wrapped around Luke’s arms, soft and sweet and totally unlike the thorns that had just attacked their enemy. 

“Hands,” Louis commanded, and their palms were sliced for a second time that day before they stepping into the circle just as another crazed faerie jumped towards them.

They landed in the woods behind the cottage, and no sooner had their feet touched the ground than they took off for the house, pushing their way through the front door and into the living room where Echo lay on the ground, a very concerned Harry kneeling over her. 

“Ash, Luke,” Calum breathed and reached for them from wear he sat curled up on a sofa. The boys immediately fell into his embrace, and at some point Michael’s arms joined the large group hug as they breathed each other in.

“We’re okay,” Ashton reassured Calum. “We’re safe.”

Luke’s blood was sticky against his face, and Calum’s bites looked even more horrendous in the light coming in through the cottage windows, but yes. They were safe.

“How is she?” Luke asked Harry, eyeing Echo on the floor. Harry hummed.

“She’ll be okay,” he said. “The fae were pretty nasty, took a lot of her magic. It’ll regenerate, but it’ll take time.” Louis handed him a collection of herbs and a jar of crystals with no prompting, and Harry beamed up at him affectionately. “Thank you.”

“No sweat,” Louis said and leaned down to press a kiss to Harry’s curls. “I think I need to make one more trip to the realm.”

“Why?” Michael asked.

“Gonna visit the council. Tell them about all the shit that’s going on.” Louis’ face was serious as he spoke. “This shit was totally out of hand. They’re probably gonna wanna talk to all of us at some point, but they’ve got some rogue fae to round up before they do.” Louis headed for the front door. “Back in a sec, my dear,” he told Harry. The witch just nodded and went back to work on Echo, cleaning the blood from her wounds and pressing different crystals into her palms.

“That’s what all those things were?” Ashton asked. “A bunch of rogue fae?”

“Friends of Colin,” Calum said, and Ashton shivered. “I think,” he sniffled, “I think they were trying to get you, Ash, but they got me instead.”

“I’m sorry, Cal,” Ashton kissed Calum’s dirty cheek before resting his forehead there. “I’m sorry.”

“‘S not your fault,” Calum said. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

“Me too.” Michael said and Ashton hummed in agreement.

The tiredness that had started to take over Luke reared its ugly head so that the siren could hardly keep his eyes open. His head fell back against the couch cushions and he kept his eyes trained on his boys for as long as he could before his body finally succumbed to the exhaustion.

 

Calum wasn’t okay for a long time after that. Physically he was alright. The bite wounds healed much like Ashton’s, and the two boys bonded over their matching scars. While Calum didn’t suddenly acquire a super green thumb like Ashton had, he found he’d gained something else from his experience.

“So you’re telling me that I got plant powers, but Calum got access to fucking raw energy?”

“Looks like it.”

“Not fair.”

They discovered it when Calum got particularly scared one evening. After the darkness he’d been surrounded by, the night made Calum feel particularly uneasy. Luke had stumbled back into the bedroom after taking a piss one night when one of the pillows of their bed exploded into a whirl of feathers.

“What the hell?”

“Sorry,” Calum said, his voice shaky. “I think- I think that was me.”

It happened mostly when he got nervous. Calum’s would pull energy from the air around him and then shit would explode (or something like that- Louis and Harry did their best to explain what was happening but Luke wasn’t convinced that even they knew exactly what was going on.) He got better at controlling it over time, much like Ashton and his blooms, but it took time, and Calum was especially nervous in the months following the incident.

“Luke?” Calum mumbled in his sleep. The siren hadn’t been sleeping particularly well since Calum had been taken from them, in part because of the terrible nightmares that plagued Cal. 

“Here, Cal,” Luke’s voice was heavy with sleep as he rolled over and tossed a hand over Calum’s torso. “Here.”

Calum’s eyes opened with some effort and he turned to look at the siren lying beside him.

“Luke.”

“Cal.”

Calum’s eyes welled up with tears and Luke’s heart ached.

“I just want to forget,” he whispered into the space between them. Luke knew, LUke understood. He wanted to forget too.

He leaned forward to press a chaste kiss against Calum’s lips. “Me too.” Another kiss. “I’m sorry.” One more. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Calum said and tangled his fingers in Luke’s long hair. “My hero.”

“As if,” Luke said. “It was a group effort.”

“I heard your voice in the dark, Luke,” Calum said and Luke shut up, stopped teasing, because Calum didn’t like talking about this much, so if he wanted to now then Luke would damn well listen. “I was so alone and then I heard you. And then I saw you.” He leaned forward to kiss Luke, soft and slow while Ashton and Michael slept soundly beside them. 

“I love you,” Luke panted against his open mouth and Calum hummed. 

“I love you,” he said it back and pressed forward again, all soft lips and slow hands as he ran his fingers along Luke’s bare torso.

Michael and Ashton woke up right around the time Calum slipped his shirt off. They were tired, but not tired enough to not press kisses to Calum’s torso, or to brush his sweaty curls out of his eyes, or to shed the last of their clothing so that they could take care of Calum, help him forget for at least a little while while Ashton’s flowers grew in an arch above them and the energy in Calum’s palms made the pillows around them burst so that petals floated through the air while Luke’s glitter made everything shine gold. 

It took months but eventually things started to feel normal again. Echo was doing better, and since staying with Harry and Louis she’d really hit it off with them. Some weekends all seven of them would get together and camp in the woods behind Harry and Louis’ place, hike the trails around the cottage, or drive to the lake that wasn’t too far away. At some point Calum and Michael and Ashton gave up on keeping their own apartments and all just moved into Luke’s. Ashton would make breakfast and Michael would pack lunches and Luke would make dinner. Calum’s football schedule made things a bit hectic for him at times, but he always managed to be home for dinner. 

“What if we got a dog?” he posed one night over baked ziti. “A medium sized one. And fluffy.”

“A dog,” Ashton mused. “Who would take care of it?”

“We all would,” Calum said. “But I’ll clean up its shit if that’s what you’re getting at.”

Michael laughed, “I think that’s exactly what he was getting at.”

“Where would we find this dog?” Luke asked, and Calum grinned.

“SPCA down the street. He’s medium sized. And fluffy.”

“Does he have a name?” Luke asked.

“Duke,” Calum smiled down at his food.

“Sounds cute,” Ashton shrugged. “Is he a good boy?”

“A very good boy,” Calum said, and Luke felt his heart stutter in his chest at the beautiful glint in Calum’s eye. “The best.”

“Wow,” Michael said. “Seems like you and Duke are already friends.”

“I may have visited him once,” Calum said, “or twice.”

“Well then,” Luke clapped his hands together, “if you two have already formed a connection then I guess we have no choice.”

They brought Duke home a week before Christmas. Ashton moved all the glass ornaments that were on the bottom branches of the tree up to the top, scared that Duke might accidentally break some of them. Michael, who had always claimed to be more of a cat guy, warmed up to him right away, and he and Duke spent many afternoons napping together on the couch. Calum was delighted with the newest addition to their little family, and showered Duke in attention and gifts from the moment he stepped into the house.

“Thank you,” he whispered to Luke as he watched Ashton and Michael run with Duke around the coffee table. He leaned up for a kiss, and Luke was happy to oblige, settling his hands on Calum’s waist.

“I appreciate the kiss, but I really don’t need to be thanked,” Luke said. “Duke was a part of the family as soon as you brought him up at dinner.”

Calum grinned, “What if I just wanna kiss you? No thank yous attached?”

“That’d be just fine by me,” Luke smirked, and leaned forward to kiss Calum again and again until Michael and Ashton interrupted, demanding kisses as well. It wasn’t long before things got out of hand and Duke was sent to his puppy play pen while the four boys tumbled into the bedroom, reaching for each other as they collapsed onto the bed.

And for the first time in a long time, Luke felt the weight of everything lifted from his shoulders, surrounded by the boys he loved with the promise of forever unspoken, but real nonetheless- so real that Luke decided to be brave and ask with his head between Michael’s thighs,

“You guys wanna get married?”

“Of course,” Ashton said.

“Fuck yeah,” Michael said.

“As soon as possible,” Calum gasped, back arching off the bed as Ashton moved his wrist just right and yes-

Everything was alright. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sad to see this end, but also happy with how it turned out. comments and kudos always appreciated. thanks for reading my lovelies.

**Author's Note:**

> honestly i'm not sure where this is going. comment any suggestions you might have/just let me know if you want more. :)


End file.
